Dark Brothers of Hell
by Spiritual Tao
Summary: Fifteen years ago Him, the greatest evil known to Townsville, sent the Rowdyruff boys to Hell to undergo special training. Now they have returned with the dark powers of Hell on their side.
1. A Demonic Regime

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Chapter 1: A Demonic Regime

The Powerpuff Girls were engaged in a heated battle with their super powered rivals the Rowdyruff Boys. Ever since they had been resurrected by the notorious demon Him they had become a continuous nuisance to the girls, challenging them to battle time and time again. This battle proved to be no different than the rest. As usual the three Powerpuffs paired up with their Rowdyruff counterparts as they duked it out high above Townsville.

"You ain't gonna take us boys out this time," Brick shouted across the sky to a somewhat battered Blossom.

"Ha, we beat you before and we'll do it again," Blossom retorted with a sneer. Brick launched himself at the redhead at top speed, but she nimbly dodged and he shot past her. He doubled back and charged her a second time, but this time Blossom met him head on. They collided in a flash of red and pink, hands interlocked as they wrestled against each other's grip. They broke apart and clashed a second time, exchanging a flurry of punches and kicks.

Likewise Bubbles and Buttercup were trading blows with their Rowdyruff counterparts. Butch and Buttercup wrestled relentlessly neither one able to gain the upper hand. Bubbles was leading Boomer on a wild chase, weaving in and out of buildings, mocking him all the while with the occasional "you can't catch me" or "slowpoke". The battle went on like this for quite some time until both sides separated and regrouped with their respected members.

"Once again girls we're too evenly matched," Blossom said to her team mates. "We're going to have come up with a unique strategy to win this one."

"But we've already used every tactic in the book on these guys," Buttercup protested. "There's probably nothing we can do that they won't wise up to."

"There are three thing that those boys lack Buttercup," Blossom said. "organization, intelligence, and strategy. As long as we hold a monopoly on these three traits they can never overtake us."

"Okay then leader girl. So what do we do?" Buttercup inquired. Blossom leaned in close to her sister and began to reveal her plan. Not to far off the Rowdyruff boys were engaged in a discussion of their own.

"Okay boys," Brick began with a note of aggravation, "we can't let those sissy girls beat us again. We're the Rowdyruff boys and we won't let ourselves be defeated by a bunch of stupid girls so I want you two to go out there and show them what we're really made of."

"Yeah," Butch and Boomer shouted simultaneously. The three set their sights back onto the Powerpuff Girls who had just finished their discussion and were glaring back at them. For several seconds they remained unmoving staring silently at each other.

"ROWDYRUFF BOYS ATTACK," Brick screamed at the top of his lungs. At once the three boys lunged at their female counterparts. Blossom gave a discrete wink to her sisters which they both acknowledged with a nod and then the three of them raced out to meet adversaries.

The Rowdyruff boys attacked with a blind fury throwing a barrage of punches and kicks at their opponents. The girls made no attempt to return the aggression and instead they simply weaved in and out of the boys attacks. This went on for several minutes, all the while the Rowdyruff Boys were growing more and more angry at the elusive girls. Finally Blossom gave the signal.

"Now girls." Each girl ducked in close to her opponent and at once began to tickle them furiously. The boys were caught completely off guard and were overtaken by the girl's assault, rendering them helpless as they were overcome with fits of laughter. The girls continued in this way tickling the boys until they could no longer keep themselves aloft. The three of them fell to the ground laughing all the while.

"All right girls, lets finish this," Blossom said to her sisters. The three girls plummeted towards earth at top speed, preparing to crush their Rowdyruff counterparts. Still caught in their fits of laughter the Rowdyruff Boys did not even notice the three bright streaks hurtling towards them. It seemed as if they would be laughing to their deaths, but at the last moment a red cloud encompassed the boys. When the fog had dissipated they were gone. The Powerpuff Girls stopped their descent full force, barely avoiding a collision with the bare pavement. They looked at each other in bewilderment as they realized what had just happened.

"Dang it," Buttercup shouted. "Every time we manage to cut those Rowdyruffs down to size Him always interferes."

"As much as I hate to admit it girls we've lost yet another chance at destroying those Rowdyruff Boys for good," Blossom said.

"They'll be back," Bubbles added. "They always come back."

"And when they do they better pray Him is there to intervene because I'll beat them so bad they'll be begging for me to kill them," Buttercup shouted furiously while cracking her knuckles.

"Don't count on it Buttercup. "Said Blossom in a serious tone. Despite their slow wit the Rowdyruff Boys always manage to come back just a little bit stronger and a little bit wiser. We'll have to keep on our toes if we want any chance of beating them next time."

They three girls flew back home satisfied that their work was done. In a twisted dimension bordering the very realm of Hell itself the evilest of evils, known only to man as Him watched the retreating Powerpuff on his television set. He was infuriated at the defeat of his boys an with a powerful red blast from his eyes he obliterated the televisions set.

"Those worthless boys," he screamed in a ferocious voice that shook the ground beneath him. "I cannot believe they lost to those girls again." A dark vortex opened up from above and spilled the Rowdyrufff Boys at Him's feet. They were still laughing from the Powerpuff Girl's assault and the sight made Him grow even more angry.

"STOP YOUR LAUGHING YOU WORTHLESS BRATS," Him screeched at the top of his lungs. The earth beneath him began to crack and crumble and the Rowdyruff Boys were blown back by the sheer force of Him's outburst. They stared in silent terror as they looked into the blazing eyes of the furious demon.

"You insolent whelps." Him shouted. "You incompetent fools. How is it that you always manage to lose against those Powerpuff Girls. I made you stronger than you were before, fortified you against their feminine wiles and yet you still managed to be defeated again and again AND AGAIN." Him sneered at the boys, glaring at them with such fierce contempt that they began quiver with fright. He leaned in close to the leader Brick giving him the full effect of his menacing glare. Brick winced slightly at the foul breath of the demon, but dared not speak out for fear of retribution. He knew well enough the hold that Him held on the three of them.

"WORTHLESS," him shouted at the top of his lung, "ALL WORTHLESS. I don't see why I shouldn't kill the three of you where you stand." Him turned his back to the boys and began to pace frantically too and fro. The three boys eyed each other fearfully, wondering what was to become of them.

"Despite your despicable failure you boys are my best hope for defeating those girls," Him spoke much calmer now. "Of all the villains of Townsville you three have come the closest to destroying those little brats and so as much as I utterly despise the idea I must rely on you three to ultimately take them out. I must find a way to make you stronger. It seems my magic alone isn't enough. I could send you three out there a hundred times more and I'm sure those girls would discover some new weakness to exploit. I will have to find some way to make you invincible against them, to eliminate any and all possible weaknesses you boys may possess." Him stopped his pacing and summoned up an armchair from the ground beneath him. There he sat in deep thought for many minutes as the Rowdyruff boys looked on in silence, not daring to disturb the demon.

"Yes, I have got it," Him finally shouted, jumping up from his chair. "I don't see why I didn't think of this before." He turned back to the boys, an evil glint in his eyes.

"In you current state you boys are weak and pathetic and no amount of magic can change that, but with the proper training you could learn to wield the very powers of Hell itself. Imagine what you boys could become if you were able to harness the dark powers of Hell. Such an ability would surely make you unstoppable. You could become a such a tremendous force that not even the Powerpuff Girls would be able to stand in your way." Him let out a terrible demonic laugh that echoed through his domain. The fire in his eyes seemed greater than ever as he grinned wickedly at the three boys.

"There is only one place where you will be able to learn such dark secrets. A place where I myself was born." Him leapt high into the air and with one claw tore open a portal through space. The three boys stared in amazement as the portal opened into a gaping vortex, spreading apart ever wider until it became like an enormous archway. Beyond it they could see a realm of unspeakable horror, a hideous landscape engulfed in flames that flickered a bloody crimson. Their eyes grew wide with terror as they stared into the horrible realm that stood before them.

Him touched down in front of the now terrified boys, deeply satisfied by their fright. He grinned more wickedly than ever as he raised one claw towards the archway. "Pack your bags boys. You're going to Hell."


	2. A Figure in the Dark

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Chapter 2: A Figure in the Dark

A loud roar shook the night air as a sleek metallic green sports car raced through the empty streets, ignoring the traffic lights in its path. It was a four seater, with a retractable rooftop that had been placed down showcasing the shiny black leather interior. At the wheel a young woman sat reclining against the seat, one hand perched on top of the steering wheel while her free arm rested atop the car door. She wore a high cut neon green tank top and matching skirt and a black leather jacket along with a pair of black fingerless leather glover. Her long jet black hair danced wildly in the wind as she pushed ninety in the little sports car. She bobbed her head steadily to the heavy metal rock music she had blaring over the stereo. Sitting by her side, feet perched atop the dashboard with the seat tilted back just so sat a young brunette gazing nonchalantly down the road ahead. She wore a white T with the logo of a black panther on the front and a pair of red jeans with a chain hooked along one leg. Her dark brown hair flared out from beneath a red beanie with two purple braids dangling on either side of her head.

The sports car pulled up to fast food diner, screecing to a halt in front of a large plastic grizzly bear with a speaker set in its belly. The voice of a young woman spoke through the speaker.

"Welcome to Mc Grizzles. Can I take you order please."

"Yeah I'll have two tons of road kill and a side of upchuck soda," the dark haired driver called through the speaker. The brunette beside her chuckled loudly.

"What the… Buttercup, is that you?" The voice shouted angrily over the speaker. Both girls burst out laughing.

"Yeah it's me Bubbles. Robin and I were just on our way to the club downtown. Why don't you ditch this place and come join us."

"I can't just leave," Bubbles protested. "I'll get in trouble with the manager. Besides, I get off in an hour anyway."

"C'mon Bubbles. It aint like anybody comes around this late," Buttercup persuaded. "You wanna just sit there for the next hour staring at the wall."

There was moment of silence over the speaker. "I'll be right out," Bubbles replied. After a few minutes the blond leapt through the drive-thru window wearing a sky blue tube top dress and a pair of velvet black heels. Her hair was tied back into a bun with two blue streaked locks hanging on either side of her head. She leapt into the back of the car shouting, "Let's Paaarte."

With a loud roar Buttercup sped out of the lot turning her music up full blast. She was bobbing her head to her music again while Bubbles and Robin chatted excitedly between themselves. They came to a busy nightclub, with bright lights and loud music pounding in the background. Buttercup eyed an empty parking space along the curb and saw another car not too far off ehading for the same space. She narrowed her eyes and with a combination of skill and a insanity jammed the gas petal, cutting the steering wheel hard to the right.

"HOLY SHIT," Bubbles screamed as the car jolted forward and swerved towards the curve. At the last minute Buttercup slammed on the brakes, cutting the steering wheel to the left. The car skidded to a halt just beside the curb, leaving not a scratch on its shiny exterior.

"Jesus Christ Buttercup. Your gonna get somebody killed," Bubbles shouted.

"Lighten up Bubbles. I do it all the time," Buttercup retorted. She pulled the key from the ignition and dropped it in her coat pocket. The three jumped out of the car and entered the night club. The club was alive with music and dancing. Buttercup's eyes were aglow and she immediately sprang onto the floor. "Now this is a party," she cried as she began to move enthusiastically to the music. Bubbles and Robin where quick to join her and the three girls danced like mad amidst the masses of partygoers.

They danced through several songs, joining up with a partner every now and then. Bubbles was beginning to tire and decided to take a quick break. "I'm going to get a drink," she called to her comrades.

"I'm right behind you Blue," Robin said feeling like she could also use a buzz. "You want anything Buttercup?"

"Nah, I'm cool," Buttercup replied as she resumed her dancing.

From amidst the shadows in a far corner of the room several pairs of eyes watched the three girls intently. One pair in particular had its gaze fixed solidly on Buttercup, following her movements as she graced the dance floor. He was tantalized by her movement, the grace of her step, the movement of her hips, the way she tossed her hair. He put a cigarette to his lips and drew in a deep breath exhaling in a puff of smoke paired with a nearly inaudible whisper of "Buttercup,"

The song that was playing had ceased and energy of the dance floor had momentarily subsided. The man got to his feet and drew another breath from his cigarette before extinguishing it in an ash tray. "Lets do this," he said to his comrades. They crossed the dance floor forcing their way through the crowd with little regard for the people in their path. As they approached Buttercup the man waved his hand signaling to his posse to remain where they were. He continued his way forward coming face to face with the her.

Buttercup smiled as she looked upon the face she knew so well. He still had that same arrogant smirk he always carried with him. He had changed much from what she knew him to be so many years ago, the once thin lanky body now laden with toned muscle. He was much more mature, much more focused, having lost much of his childish arrogance in the years passed. His eyes were still hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, but then that had always been his trademark. "Fancy seeing you here Ace," said Buttercup in a sweet tone.

"I'm always where the party is," Ace replied in his usual smooth and confident voice. He reached out and ran his fingers down Buttercup's cheek. "I've had a lot on my mind you know."

"I'm sure you have," Buttercup said throwing a mischievous grin towards Ace. She took Ace's hand into her own and drew it closer to her face. "You know after our last little get together I thought you'd be afraid to see me again."

"It takes a lot more than a few bumps and bruises to keep ol' Ace down babe." With blazing speed Ace flung his free arm at Buttercup. His arm, which was just a moment ago flesh and bone, was now a shiny metal. Buttercup seemed to vanish completely, leaving the arm the pass through thin air.

Ace grinned as he saw Buttercup standing several feet away from him. "Still as feisty as ever, but your not getting away from me that easily." he called. He snapped his fingers and the rest of his crew came to his side. Like Ace the others had changed considerably from their former selves. Grubber's eyes no longer stared aimlessly into space but looked on with an intense amount of focus. His body was solid as a rock and he had become much faster as well. Snake seemed to have transform into a literal example of his name. His skin was even greener than the others covered with shiny scales and snake like markings. Big Billy who was once plump and round was now a hulking mass of muscles, giving new meaning to his name. He was still intellectually challenged, but his mind had been honed as such so that he would follow any command without question or distraction. The smallest member of the group Arturo who would not have much luck in hand to hand combat had compensated himself with psychokinetic abilities.

Buttercup looked up indifferently at the Gang Green Gang giving a little smirk. "You boys wanna dance? Well lets dance," she said not bothering to take on an offensive posture.

"Whatever you say little lady," Ace said returning the smirk. He removed his sunglasses, revealing a mechanical eye in his left socket. He folded them up neatly and placed them in his pocket. "C'mon boys," He said, his left eye gleaming bright red, "lets dance."

The first to launch the attack was the ape like Grubber. He lunged full speed at Buttercup throwing a whirlwind of kicks and punches that whizzed at such a speed that the untrained eye would have a great deal of trouble seeing them. Buttercup ducked and dodged effortlessly between the strikes allowing a few to meet her arms just for the pleasure of showing she could block the attacks. Big Billy came in close behind Grubber shaking the earth beneath him with each step. He threw a powerful downward forearm strike, which Buttercup dodged with a graceful leap. The arm sunk deep into the ground causing a network of deep cracks to span outwards.

Snake had transformed himself into a giant cobra baring his giant fangs that were the size of a samurai sword each. He lunged at an elusive Buttercup, his fangs sinking deep into the concrete floor. Buttercup landed atop his head and she raced down the length of his body, stopping at his tail which she clenched in her fists. With her superhuman strength she launched Snake into a nearby wall. She then flipped out of the way as Arturo sent a wave of furniture flying her way.

All this was happing in the span of a few seconds. Bubbles and Robin watched from the bar as they were casually sipping on their drinks.

"Do you think you should help her?" Robin asked.

"Nah, Buttercup can take care of herself," Bubbles said in reply. She took another swig of her beverage, ducking as Arturo came flying overhead. There was a loud crash and the sound of many bottles shattering. Arturo staggered up between the girls in a daze and hoisted himself atop the counter, preparing to re-enter the battle. Bubbles gave a swift backfist to his face sending him flying back into the wall and knocking him out cold.

Buttercup had just taken Snake out with a punch to the base of his skull. He lay unconscious on the floor returning back to his human form. Looking smugly at her work she didn't notice Big Billy coming up behind her. He scooped her up in his burly arms and hugged her tight against his chest. Buttercup could feel her breath slipping as the behemoth squeezed her tighter and tighter. Not one to be beaten so easily she pressed hard against Billy's solid grasp. Despite his tremendous strength Billy's grip faltered ever so slowly. When Buttercup had spread Billy's arms far enough apart she threw her elbows back with all her might into his gut. Billy dropped Buttercup and placed his hands on his stomach, keeling over with the intense pain of her strike. Before Buttercup could follow up un her attack Grubber was upon her again. She was becoming annoyed with the wired up warrior. He was fast, almost as fast as she was, but even more so he was tough. His solid hide made him very a very difficult foe to extinguish. For every blow she laid upon him he only seemed to bounce back unscathed.

Grubber came soaring down upon Buttercup who sidestepped so that he landed just next to her. In a flash she grabbed him by the neck and twirled twice around gathering up speed and power before hurling him straight into the ground. Grubber plowed through the cement floor burrowing several feet into the ground. He lay there in a mangled heap unconscious and unmoving. Buttercup turned her attention back to Big Billy who by now had recovered and was rounding up for a super punch. Buttercup braced herself as the monstrous fist came flying towards her. With a great effort she stopped the fist dead in its track, bracing it against her outstretched palm. She then leapt forward and kneed Big Billy in the head with all her might. He fell to the ground with a loud crash, knocked out clean by the blow.

The club had long since emptied of its patrons who had all fled for their lives in the heat of battle. The brawl had considerably trashed the place as furniture lay about in splinters and broken glass littered the floor. Ace gazed at Buttercup with a mixture lust and admiration. A wide grin crossed his face as he watched the last of his comrades fall.

"I'm impressed Buttercup. My boys were too easy a match for you. I'll have to make things a little more interesting." Ace extended his metallic arm and a blade handle emerged from his wrist. As if carried by a current it migrated into his open palm. He clenched the handle tight and at once a broad photon blade emerged. Ace took an offensive stance and rushed full speed at Buttercup. He attacked swiftly, striking with blazing speed and deadly accuracy. Buttercup nimbly dodged the first slash, but as quickly as she had escaped it Ace was upon her once more. In a deadly light show Ace came at Buttercup with a flurry of slashes and thrusts. Each strike would come dangerously close to its mark only to pass through thin air as Buttercup effortlessly avoided it. She quickly found an opening in Ace's stance and closed in fast, grasping his right arm tightly in her left hand. She threw a right punch at the unguarded face, but in a flash Ace's hand was tightly wrapped around her wrist. They stood deadlocked each pushing against the other's grip. Buttercup slowly wrenched Ace's right hand in her grip, eventually forcing him to drop the blade. She threw her right knee at Ace's gut, but he blocked with his left knee and kicked his heel into the crease of her ankle forcing her leg back to the ground. The two were deadlocked once more both refusing to give way to the other as they leaned all their weight forward into the other's grasp. The floor cracked and crumbled beneath the weight of their struggle as they dug their heels deeper into the earth.

"You always had a fiery attitude Buttercup," Ace remarked. "It's no surprise I fell in love with you,"

"It's a shame your just piece of criminal scum," Buttercup retorted. "We might have had something together."

They glared into each other's eyes in a fierce yet intimate staring contest unyielding in their struggle to overpower one another. Finally the two broke off from each other putting several feet of distance between them. Ace fired a laser beam from his mechanical eye at Buttercup who leapt over it, crashing straight through the ceiling. Ace followed suite and both emerged on the rooftop.

"Enough of this foreplay," Ace said removing his jacket and throwing it off to the side. "I say we heat things up here." The metal on Ace's right arm began to writhe and expand stretching over his chest and left arm and then down his waist and to his legs. It encased his body like a suit of armor leaving only his head exposed. Ace rushed Buttercup with colossal speed tearing up the roof in his wake. Buttercup met him head on leaving a green trail flaring behind her. They collided in a big explosion, their fists connecting with such force that large shockwave tore across the rooftop.

For several minutes Buttercup and Ace traded blows, neither one able to land a successful strike through the other's defense. They attacked each other with such fury that their blows echoed across the night sky. The two combatants eventually broke off their assault and took to separate ends of the roof. Buttercup began charging her fists with green energy and at the same time Ace transformed his right arm into a large cannon and took aim at Buttercup. They both fired upon each other simultaneously, their blasts connecting mid way. It became a contest of who could force the most energy into their blast. Ace began laughing maniacally.

"I hate to break it to you baby, but this time I've got you outmatched." Ace intensified his beam to such a degree that he pushed back Buttercup's beam. It came so close to her that it was nearly touching her outstretched hands, stopping mere centimeters from her palms. Buttercup only smiled.

"Sorry Ace, but this is not your day." Buttercups palms glowed brighter than ever and the swirling green energy began to encompass the blast coming from Ace's cannon. In one mighty thrust Buttercup forced the beam back in Ace's direction. The green energy consumed Ace, tearing at his flesh and stripping away at his metal shell. He fell of the roof and landed in a heap on the ground not dead but badly injured and unconscious.

Buttercup dusted off her skirt leapt off the edge of the roof just outside the entrance. Robin and bubbles were standing by the entrance and they rushed out to meet her.

"You seriously trashed the place Buttercup. I don't think they'll ever let you back in there," Robin commented.

"Yeah, who cares," Buttercup replied. "There are plenty of other night clubs in this city. C'mon, lets get outta here." The tree girls made a move for Buttercup's car., but stopped short as a voice spoke to them from the shadows of a nearby alley.

"That was a pretty impressive show you just put on there Buttercup. You have grown much from the last time we met." The voice was deep and mysterious, echoing slightly in an unnatural way.

Buttercup turned sharply shouting "Who's there." From the shadows a hooded figure emerged, dressed in a black cloak that encompassed his figure.

"Who are you," Buttercup demanded taking an offensive posture.

The cloaked man chuckled loudly. "Just as I remember you Buttercup. Always so quick to take the offensive. You always had a warrior's spirit."

Buttercup glowered at the hooded figure, her eyes narrowing on his obscured face. "If your looking for an ass whooping I'll be happy to give it to you buddy," she snarled.

The hooded figure burst into a menacing laughter. "Oh, this would just be too easy. You are so naïve Buttercup. You still think you are invincible don't you, just because you are a Powerpuff Girl." He laughed even louder than before. "I will have so much fun destroying you and your sisters."

Buttercup became incensed. "If you think you are so tough than bring it on buddy," she shouted, shaking her fist menacingly in the air. The hooded figure made no move and only peered at her silently. Her frown quickly faded into a satisfied smile. "I thought so."

Suddenly the man waved his hand and Buttercup's car burst into a pillar of flames, flying high into the air and landing out in the middle of the road, a mere pile of smoldering scrap. Buttercup looked at the remains of her car, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and horror. "M-My car," she screamed. "You trashed my car." She turned to the hooded figure, her expression quickly changing from one of shock to one of rage. "You are seriously gonna pay for that," she shouted, clenching her fists so tightly that her forearms were bulging. She made a mad dash at the stranger, rearing one fist back and taking aim at the hooded face. She struck her mark head on, her fist disappearing beneath the black hood. There was a loud crack and Buttercup felt a sharp pain jolt down her arm. She let out a shrill cry and recoiled he hand, cradling the arm against her chest. The hand was badly mangled, the fingers dangling at improper angles while the wrist was crunched in slightly. She staggered away from the figure clenching her arm tightly.

"So this is what the toughest Powerpuff has to offer," the hooded figure cackled," I'm rather disappointed. I thought you would be more of a challenge."

Despite the pain Buttercup charged the figure once more, rearing back her good hand for another strike. She closed in on him and swung hard, but before she could connect she was hit hard in the chest. The force sent her soaring back, crashing through a nearby street lamp. She skidded to a halt in the middle of the street and remained there unmoving. The figure stood there silently with an outstretched palm cackling loudly to himself. Bubbles and Robin stared in complete shock at what they had just witnessed. Bubbles quickly became enrage and she charged at the hooded figure. He leapt nimbly of the way landing several feet away from Bubbles.

"Ah ah ah Bubbles. Now is not the time for that. You will have your chance soon enough, but right now I've got a city to take over." The figure backed into the shadows of the alley from which he first emerged and seemed to disappear altogether in the surrounding darkness. Bubbles rushed in after him, but found the alley to be completely empty with no traces of the man whatsoever. She rushed back to her fallen sister who was beign tended to by Robin. Her expression was wrought with fear as she tried to wake the unconscious Buttercup.

"She's badly injured. We have to get her to a hospital," Robin exclaimed.

Bubbles lifted her sister into her arms. "I'll taker her to the hospital. You go and call my father right away," she commanded. Robin did as she was told and approached the nearest payphone. Bubbles flew off with Buttercup in her arms, heading in the direction of Townsville's hospital.


	3. The Coming of Urobach

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Chapter 3: The Coming of Urobach

A black mist passed through the quiet streets, slithering along unnoticed by the few people who were about during the late hours. It floated silently into an alley and began to materialize, forming a black pool on the ground. It stretched upwards, the black mass shaping itself into a human form. The final form was that of a young man. His body was enshrouded by the black mass like a cloak, leaving only his head exposed. His eyes glowed an eerie blue and his hair was golden blond.

"Glad you could make it," a voice sounded from the shadows. A very tall cloaked figure moved into the dim moonlight. He removed his hood to reveal a pair of emerald green eyes and pure white hair that stuck straight up on his head like a pillar of spikes. His face was scarred in several places and his eyes were glazed over like those of someone who had seen unspeakable horrors in his lifetime.

"Where is Lucifage," the blond man inquired.

"He hasn't arrived yet," replied the other.

"It's not like him to be late, especially to his own timetable."

"Maybe he's having his way with some hapless mortal," said the green eyed man. He snickered loudly at his comment.

"Unlike you Amducious I have the willpower to control my urges," said a voice from the shadows. Another cloaked figure emerged from the shadows of the alley and set his hood to his down upon his shoulders. His eyes were a fiery crimson, glowing like hot coals against the darkness. His hair was dark orange and it hung down to his shoulders. He smiled upon his comrades. "Sorry I'm late, but I had to check up on some old friends."

The other two smiled back knowingly.

"Were they any trouble?" asked the blond.

"They pose absolutely no threat to our plans," replied the redhead. "Our takeover will be swift."

"Urobach will be pleased," said the blond

"We must return now. Urobach awaits news of our progress." said the redhead. He turned to the farthest wall of the alley and touched his hand upon it. At once the bricks began to recede, revealing a portal in the wall. The three men walked through the portal and the bricks immediately returned to their places leaving no trace of their passage.

It was nearing midnight and life had all but ceased in the City of Townsville. In the prestigious University of Townsville all but one light had been extinguished for the night. Beside a tall stack of books sat a rather haggard looking Blossom, who was scribbling away in her notebook, fighting hard the enticing urge to sleep. She nodded now and again, her fatigue weighing on her more every second that passed. She closed her eyes, telling herself she was just going to rest them for a moment, but they did not open. Her head drooped lightly, coming to rest atop her notebook and her pink pen slipped from her fingers and fell with a light pop upon the hardwood floor.

Suddenly a loud ring shook Blossom from her slumber. She jolted upright, both dazed and confused in her half asleep state, and turned her head sharply towards the source of the noise. She breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes fell upon the telephone. She picked up the receiver and placed it to her ear.

"Hello, Blossom speaking." Blossom paused for a moment as a frantic voice rambled about on the other end. Her eyes widened in shock. "What? What happened… Is she okay?… I'll be right over." Blossom slammed the receiver back in place and rushed towards the window. She opened it and leapt out of her dorm room, taking off full speed into the night sky. In a matter of seconds she was at Townville Hospital. She dashed to the reception desk, smacking the service bell so hard that it was flattened beneath her palm.

"Can I help you?" a rather annoyed secretary asked.

"yes, my name is Blossom Utonium. I'm looking for a Buttercup Utonium. She was just committed not long ago."

"Yes, Buttercup Utonium. Let me see… Second floor, Rehab Center, room 221."

"Thank you," Blossom called as she wasted no time rushing towards the stairs. She quickly located the room and entered finding Bubbles, Robin and the Professor leaning over a bandaged Buttercup lying in one of the hospital beds. Blossom rushed over to her sister's side.

"Hey Bloss. Glad you could make it," Buttercup said giving weak smile.

"Buttercup, what happened to you?" Blossom said in a frantic tone, noticing Buttercups bandaged chest and hand.

"Some weirdo outside the nightclub came outta nowhere and blew up my car. I tried to attack him and busted my hand on his face." Buttercup raised her bandaged hand so that Blossom could see it clearly. "He busted my ribs too. I didn't even see it coming. I didn't think anyone could be that strong."

"I tried to go after him," Bubbles continued, "but he just disappeared. I carried Buttercup here and had Robin call dad."

Blossom turned to the Professor a look of worry on her face. "Dad, is she going to be alright?" she asked.

"It's alright Blossom," Utonium said in a reassuring tone. "Her ribs were only fractured and there was no internal damage. Her accelerated regeneration will have her fixed up in a few days. I would be more worried about who did this to Buttercup. Whoever it was is still out there and must be incredibly strong to break a Powerpuff's bones."

Blossom clenched her fists tightly, anger written all over her face. "I will go and find who did this. Nobody hurts one of my sisters without answering to me," she said acidly.

Buttercup forced herself upright ignoring the pain that shot through her chest. "Blossom, you can't go after him. He's just too damn strong. If you face him you'll just end up like me or worse.

Blossom turned to Buttercup, her eyes glowing with a fierce determination. "I can't ignore my duty to Townsville or to you Buttercup," she said sternly. "If there is someone out there who threatens the safety of anybody in this town, especially my sisters, than I must take steps to insure that that threat is eliminated.

Buttercup grit her teeth, seeing the seriousness in Blossom's eyes. "Well promise me then that you won't go until I'm better. I wont let you and Bubbles go without me. Besides, I have a personal score to settle."

Blossom smiled and nodded. "Fine Buttercup. When you're better we'll all go out together and find the person who did this."

Buttercup fell back onto the bed, relieved that Blossom would at least wait for her to recover before going after the strange assailant. Her mind wandered back to the scene in the street. She could picture the figure clearly in her mind. She couldn't help but feel there was something familiar about the cloaked stranger. His voice. His demeanor. She had fought many villains in the past, more than she could count, never mind remember, some stronger than others, and some not even worth mentioning. The stranger obviously knew her and her sisters from somewhere. Buttercup strained to remember but try as she might, she could not bring a face to mind.

The minutes passed meticulously as the night grew ever deeper. The time seemed to slip by very slowly with each passing second stretching into what seemed like hours. Such a phenomenon was common in the realm that sits between earth and Hell. For countless centuries this had been the dwelling place of the demon Him whose true name could not be spoken amongst mortals. The years had weighed heavily on him, nearly driving him insane, causing him to act out in ways far from respectable for a demon conquer such as himself. Such a place proved to be torturous even for a demon, the endless stretch of nothingness expanding outwards into a lifeless infinity. He could not even remember when it happened, when he was banished to this realm. It was so long ago. He had angered the great demon commander Baal by failing to lead a demon platoon to victory over mortal soil. It was a shameful defeat. He had lost the entire platoon to the human resistance. None survived the onslaught, save he and his failure had scarred his reputation as a demon conquer. He was banished to the nameless realm that sat between Hell and the mortal world, a demon's Hell as some had called it, until a time when he could prove himself by overthrowing a great mortal foe and claiming his domain in the name of Hell.

The demon sat on his throne of stone peering at a yellow rubber duck, his one source of companionship throughout the years of imprisionment. He squeezed it once in his claw, listening as it squeaked beneath the pressure of his grip. It was a sound that had brought him so much comfort over the years, but now it seemed empty, lifeless. He cast it aside. He would no longer be needing it now that the time was near.

There was loud buzzing as a portal opened up before the demon's throne. It spread into a wide archway and three cloaked figures emerged, their hoods removed to reveal the three who had passed through the portal in the alley. Him smiled, looking over his disciples. Here before him stood the very keys to his success, the ones who would ultimately pave the way for his conquest, the conquest of Townsville.

The three men approached the throne and bowed before the demon. The red haired one presented himself, stepping forward from his brothers.

"Lucifage, what news do you bring from the mortal realm," Him cooed.

"We have surveyed the city as you asked my lord," said the redhead, his voice filled with deep respect. "I had Amducious take the south and Eurynomous take the east. I myself took the north and the west. We have secured the city for your arrival. All is ripe for your takeover."

"And the girls?" The demon pried.

"They pose no threat whatsoever lord Urobach. You needn't exhaust the slightest concern I assure you."

"Good. Very good. All is set and ready then. You three are about to witness a great triumph in the name of Hell. Within the hour the city of Townsville we be mine and I will have my freedom from this accursed realm once and for all."

A swirling vortex opened up above the Him's head, sucking him upwards in a spiral until he disappeared into its center. The three men followed suit, hovering towards the vortex and allowing themselves to be sucked inside as well. They disappeared in a bright flash, the portal closing fast behind them. This was to be the last time any of them would look upon this realm again.


	4. And Darkness Swept the Land

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Chapter 4: And Darkness Swept the Land

The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, bathing the landscape in its golden rays. The sleeping city began to stir as the first signs of life emerged onto the once desolate streets. The city awoke as it did every day with its citizens engaging in their normal morning routines. It was to be another beautiful day in Townsville, a day of productivity for some, a day of leisure for others, and for some a day of new beginnings. The day had hardly begun though when a black swirling mist appeared in the very center of Townsville, growing larger and larger with each passing second. The earth began to quake violently as the ground surrounding the mist cracked and crumbled. A blanket of darkness stretched outwards from the swirling mists, and all that it touched began to violently shake as the emerging cracks stretched outwards like a web across the city. The ground around the mist began to steadily sink as it became unstable from all the forming cracks and chasms. People ran screaming in terror, trying desperately to avoid falling into the emerging chasms as they fled the oncoming darkness. Suddenly the ground rose upwards and split open as a giant structure rose from beneath it. It stretched high into the sky towering over even the tallest skyscrapers. When it had fully emerged it had left nearly a third of the city in ruins. It was huge, a massive castle made of solid earth and stone. The rock was charcoal black and there were several pillars of flame dancing on the many jagged peaks of the castle.

The swirling black mists shrunk and the shadows receded back into the black cloud as it completely dissipated, leaving in its place the demon Him. He surveyed his handiwork, grinning widely as he rubbed his claws together in sheer satisfaction. The first step of his takeover was complete. Now was to time to inform his slaves of their new ruler. He spread a thick red mist across the night sky, permeating the city like a thick fog, filling every nook and cranny until all was consumed by the crimson vapors. The remaining citizens found themselves in a trance as they inhaled the red vapors into their system. Suddenly they all found themselves standing on a red stage. It was large enough to hold all the citizens of Townsville and they remained huddled together as the platform led to a drop a each corner. The people were confused and frightened. First they were overtaken by a massive earthquake and now they seemed to be caught in some strange parallel world. An eerie laughter encircled the frightened townsfolk, seemingly coming from every conceivable direction. Suddenly in a swirling cloud of red smoke the face of Him appeared over the heads of the townsfolk.

"Welcome my dear SLAVES," Him bellowed in his feminine voice. "Your little city belongs to me now and from this day forth I am your new master. You will all either spend an eternity of servitude to me or spend an eternity in slow, painful torture. The choice is yours. Now if anyone has any complaints please DON'T HESITATE TO SPEAK UP." Him zoomed in close to the townsfolk, looking even more ferocious and glaring at them with menacing flaming eyes. Nobody said a word out of gripping terror and he quickly returned to his regular self, a pleased look on his face. "Well then, if there is nothing else, I have a castle to decorate. Ta ta."

In a sudden and rather uncomfortable shift through space, all the townsfolk found themselves back where they had originally been in the ruined streets of Townsville. The red vapors that had given them that horrible vision had by now vanished completely. Confused and terrified, they did not know what to make of anything happened in the past twenty minutes. In what seemed like an instant their lives had changed for the worst, and it seemed now they would be spending the rest of their lives living in a hell on earth under the rule of the vile demon Him.

Back at the Townsville hospital Buttercup awoke screaming. Professor Utonium, who had been napping in a nearby armchair, jumped up with fright and rushed to see if his daughter was alright.

"What's wrong Buttercup," he asked.

"I just had the worst dream. There was a giant earthquake in Townsville and Him announced that he was the ruler of the entire city and…." Suddenly Buttercup's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "holy shit," she shouted, looking out a nearby window that was just across from her bed. Through it she saw a giant black tower sitting in the center of the city. It was a good distance from the hospital, but it still looked very huge, looming high above the rest of the city. It was a menacing structure, twisted and ugly, just the sort of place a demon would call home. Buttercup shuddered. "So… it wasn't a dream."

Blossom burst into the room, tearing the door off its hinges in her haste, and rushed over to her family's side. "Are you two all right?" she shouted, breathing hard with anxiety. "I was at the university, getting ready for classes when everything suddenly went ballistic. The whole place literally fell apart from the quakes. Then this red smoke appeared out of nowhere and I suddenly saw some crazy vision of Him telling everyone in the entire city that he was the new ruler. The earthquake destroyed nearly everything and I didn't know if you two were okay." Blossom hugged the professor tight, still breathing hard against his body. He pat her on the back, trying to quell her anxiety. He didn't quite know what was going on. He had been fast asleep before being woken up by Buttercup's screaming.

"Bubbles. Where's Bubbles?" Blossom suddenly shouted. She released the Professor and looked frantically around the room.

"Bubbles left the room several hours ago, but she hasn't left the hospital to anyone's knowledge," Utonium told his daughter.

Blossom closed her eyes and felt for her sister's presence. She suddenly felt a sharp jab of pain in her chest and she opened her eyes again. "The roof," she stammered. She flew out the window and made her way to the rooftop. There she found Bubbles standing alone on a high ledge, tears streaming down her face as she looked out over the devastated city.

"Bubbles, are you okay," Blossom shouted as she landed next to her sister. Bubbles continued to stare out over the city. She looked as if she had felt some great pain.

"So much pain," she muttered. "So much fear, so much terror. I can feel it. Its everywhere. Something bad is happening Blossom. Something really bad."

Blossom looked over at the tower that sat in the center of the city. She felt a fierce anger growing inside her. "We won't let Him take over the city," she said. "We have beaten him so many time before, and this time will be no different."

"No, this time is different," Bubbles refuted. "He is not alone. There are others with him, much stronger than he is. They are guarding him. I can sense their presence surrounding him. There are three of them, but I can't tell who are what they are."

Blossom gave Bubbles an apprehensive look. "Do these entities have anything to do with Buttercup's attack?" she inquired

"Yes. I distinctly feel the same presence of the one who attacked Buttercup yesterday." Bubble's face fell even more so. "I'm afraid Blossom, not of Him, but of his guardians. They are immensely powerful, but I cannot tell to what extent. I… I don't know if we are strong enough to stop them. They could very well destroy us without even fighting at full power."

Blossom knew her sister was very sensitive to the energies around her. Bubbles had always been able to give her and Buttercup useful insight when they were engaged in battle. She trusted her premonitions with her life and never doubted what Bubbles felt inside. In this circumstance though, she wished Bubbles could be wrong. She didn't want to hear that she could be fighting an unstoppable foe. She wanted Bubbles to tell her that everything would be alright, that they would ultimately triumph and that Townsville would be safe again. She grit her teeth as she looked out at the black tower that had destroyed so much of the city during its surfacing. She glared with a fierce determination, her fears suddenly washing away.

"We have to fight this Bubbles. Win or lose we have to defend our city. We can't let Him destroy the lives and hope of all those that we hold dear. Even if we die trying we must try."

Bubbles nodded silently to her sister, knowing full well what they had to do. There was a faint cough and the two sisters turned to see Buttercup hovering nearby.

"You two aren't thinking of leaving me behind are you?" She gave one of those smiles of one who was prepare to go into battle despite the odds, a smile she often wore in similar circumstances. She was still bandaged up from her wounds she had gotten the night before.

"Buttercup, you aren't completely healed yet. We can't let you go with us," Blossom said.

"You promised you wouldn't go without me," Buttercup argued. "I won't let you two go out there by yourselves."

"Letting you go out to fight in your condition would be completely irresponsible of me Buttercup. It is entirely out of the question." Blossom crossed her arms and gave a stern look to finalize what she had said. Buttercup knew she was right. She would be no help to her sisters in her condition and she couldn't make them wait on her behalf. Townsville needed the Powerpuff Girls, regardless whether it was two or three of them. She forced herself to smile.

"Well you better save some ass for me to kick. You know I hate to be left out of a good rumble."

Blossom returned Buttercup's smile. "Well make sure there's something left for you Buttercup. You just rest up now and leave it to us."

Buttercup jumped off the rooftop and hovered back down to her room. Blossom turned back to Bubbles who was once more looking at the large tower.

"Do you think we can do this Bubbles?" she asked feeling her confidence dropping once more. Bubbles didn't answer immediately, but stared at the tower for another minute.

"There's hope," she said at last.

This was all Blossom needed to hear. With her confidence restored gazed off towards the tower and smiled. "Lets do this then," she said. She leapt off the rooftop and flew towards the tower. Bubbles took off close behind her and in a streak of pink and blue they flew off across the dismal skies.

Buttercup had reentered her room and began pacing to and fro. She was angry, angry that she could not fight along side her sisters, angry that she had been hurt the way she had. She came upon a wooden desk and in pure rage smashed it with her bandaged hand. A fierce pain jolted through her arm and she cursed loudly as she cradled the hand against her chest. It hurt so much. It was humiliating. She couldn't even break a simple wooden desk without cringing in pain like a wounded animal. Buttercup suddenly felt weak and insignificant. She was no longer a tough fighter. Instead she had become a weakling. A mere touch to her wounds and she would crumble like a matchstick house. She feel to her knees fighting back the urge to scream. A hand fell upon her shoulder and looked back to see her father standing over her. His warm smile made her feel better somehow. She was weak, but she was not alone. Her father would stay by her side until she became strong again, until she could once again fight along side her sisters. She turned around and gave the Professor a big hug. As long as he was there she would be all right.

From the depths of the castle the three servants of Him were sitting within a chamber, each seated in a luxurious armchair as they were discussing business amongst themselves.

"I am sick of listening to that fucking idiot," shouted Amducious, the green eyed man with the snowy pillar of hair. "Why in Hell do we follow to him. He isn't fit to roll a ball downhill. He would never have gotten this far without us."

"Patience Amducious," said Lucifage, the redhead leader. "Let Urobach have his way a while longer. When the time is right we will take what is rightfully ours and that fool of a demon will be spending the rest of eternity in his little prison. Do not forget that we are the Rowdyruff Boys and that we take orders from no one, especially not a degenerate like Urobach. We rule ourselves and we will gladly destroy anyone who gets in our way."

"Someone is coming," The blonde brother Eurynomous suddenly spoke up. "It is those girls, two of them. Blossom and Bubbles. I would recognize those energies anywhere."

"Looks like Buttercup is still licking her wounds from last night," Amducious said with a cold laughter.

"How close are they," Lucifage inquired.

"They are nearing the perimeter of the outer gates. They will be upon us in a matter of minutes."

"Then let us give them a warm welcome."

The three brothers left the chamber and flew off down a gigantic corridor lined with archways that led in all directions. The three split up, each taking a different path. Lucifage flew ahead of his brothers, taking the shortest route to the outside. There he could see the faint streaks of pink and blue.

"This will be very interesting," he thought to himself.

****

Footnote:

The demon names I gave the Rowdyruff Boys are actual demon names. Brick's name Lucifage means high commander, Butch's name Amducious means the destroyer and Boomer's name Eurynomous means the demon of death. As for Him the demon name I gave him, Urobach, means of the lower lever of demons. I tried to match the names to the characters and their television roles and personalities as well as their personalities in this story .

Thanks to all who reviewed so far. Keep em coming folks.


	5. Confrontation in the Demon Tower

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Chapter 5: Confrontation in the Demon Tower

Blossom and Bubbles were coming fast upon the massive tower that had only a half hour earlier surfaced from beneath the city streets. The two women circled about, trying to locate an entrance of sorts, and came upon a large iron door that seemed to mark the front entrance of the tower. Blossom hovered before the door developing in her head a strategy of appoach. Bubbles was silently observing the craftsmanship of the tower, noting the grim look about it. She was suddenly struck with a light chill as if someone were watching her from the shadows. She eyed her surroundings cautiously, rotating slowly in mid air as she eyed every nook and cranny of the jagged rocks below. Blossom took no notice as she was lost in deep thought. Her eyes were fixed upon the iron door as she used her x-ray vision to look into the interior. The stone, whatever it was, made it very difficult for her to see clearly what was inside. It seemed that whatever she was looking at was not truly as it seemed, for the interior was all a blur and changed dramatically with each passing glance.

Bubbles could feel the presence even stronger now. She could feel it all around her, but she could not see it anywhere nor could she properly sense its location. Blossom had caught notice of Bubbles frantically glancing all about and flew to her side.

"what's wrong Bubbles," she asked with concern.

"We're not alone," was Bubbles' only reply.

Blossom took on a battle ready stance and opened her senses, though she could hardly rely on them the way Bubbles could hers. She glanced all about, but could see nothing but the empty wasteland that was once the lively streets of Townsville. Unlike Bubbles she herself could feel nothing, not even the slightest hint of a foreign presence in the area.

"Whoever you are, show yourself," Blossom screamed out into the barren wasteland. She waited for some sort of response, but all remained silent and not a stone stirred on the ground beneath them. Bubbles was growing more worried. She could now feel the presence condensing into one area, it's energy becoming stronger as it collected into one point. She turned rapidly towards the point of condensed energy and saw a shadow creeping up the wall of the tower. It slithered upwards until it reached the altitude that the girls were hovering at, and then a young man emerged, dressed in black jacket with a crimson shirt beneath it and a pair of black pants. The fabric of his clothes seemed to be made of an unearthly material and it billowed steadily despite the absence of wind. The man looked at the girls through crimson eyes. His hair was a reddish brown, very similar to Blossom's, and it hung down to his shoulders.

Blossom and Bubbles both gasped when they looked upon the face of the man that hovered before them. Age had done little to mask the unmistakable features that they had come to recognize from so many years ago. Of course he was taller now, and his face had lost the round exaggerated appearance of a chemical x child in place a more slender, handsome countenance. His body was built with thick muscle that alone seemed capable of inhuman strength. He gazed on at the two women with a calm that seemed to still the very night air itself. His eyes seemed to pierce into the women's souls as they remained locked steadfast into those of the two women. The ensuing silence was deafening as the women's eyes remained locked upon those of the man's. It was as if all time had stopped to mark the appearance of this one man.

"Brick," Blossom whispered just loud enough for the words to carry to the man's ears. A smile crossed his face as he soaked in the quiet tension. He enjoyed seeing the two women baffled and confused, caught in their own inner turmoil as they come to recognize a man they thought had disappeared so many years ago.

Bubbles hovered back slightly as the full force of recognition hit her. "It was you," She stammered. "You were the one that attacked Buttercup last night."

The man's smile grew even more. "You are very perceptive Bubbles," he said in a calm, relaxed voice.

Blossom could not believe what she was seeing. Her mind kept shifting between the image of the little Brick she had known as a child, the tiny little runt with the saucer pan head and the large red eyes, arrogant and bull headed and quick to rush headlong into a fight, to the man that now stood before her, tall and burly, his composure calm and centered, his gaze revealing intense focus and concentration. They were complete opposites and yet they were the same person. Blossom shook off her confusion and glared menacingly at Brick, remembering the events that brought her and her sister here. He may have changed over the years, but he was still a Rowdyruff Boy and that meant that he could be nothing but pure evil.

"You and your demon master are going to pay dearly for what you've done to this city," she spat.

Brick looked on at Blossom with amusement. "You think that the demon you know of as Him commands any sort of mastery over me and my brothers," he said. "You give him far to much credit. I can assure you Blossom that Him will meet an end fitting towards your expectations, but at the moment he is the least of your worries. I would advise you both to turn back now. You have absolutely no idea what your getting yourselves into. I have no wish to see you both get killed, but my brothers may have a different opinion in that regard."

"If you think that you can chase us away with your pathetic threats you're wrong," Blossom snarled. Though her exterior showed unyielding confidence, inside she was deeply afraid. The sincerity in Brick's eyes confirmed Bubbles' earlier premonition. The Rowdyruff Boys were easily stronger than they were. Buttercup was proof of that. If they entered the tower, they may not come out alive. It didn't matter though. Either way Townsville was counting on the Powerpuff Girls to rescue them from the clutches of Him. If they did not act they would have to live with that guilt for the rest of their lives, and to Blossom that seemed worse than a possible death. She could not let the people down. It was her duty to protect them, to ensure their happiness. It was what she was born to do, her very purpose for being.

Still keeping her confident exterior Blossom glared fiercely at Brick, silently making a point that she did not intend to go anywhere. Bubbles remained by her side, determined to see circumstances through by her sister's side. Brick simply chuckled at the performance the Powerpuff was giving. He knew full well her true feelings. They emanated from her like the heat of a blazing fire.

"If you wish to enter than do so at your own leisure. I care not for your foolish agenda. I myself have more important matters to attend to." Brick hovered backwards towards the wall, the shadow he had emerged from returning to envelope him once more. Blossom watched him disappear, relieved to see him go. She did not want to fight him if she didn't have to, knowing the odds were against her and Bubbles. Him was their greatest priority. At least she knew that they could defeat him. The boys, or men, Blossom corrected herself, would have to come later, that is if it could be helped. She turned to Bubbles to find some sort of reassurance in her expression. She saw the fierce loyalty of a woman who would gladly take on any danger in the name of the greater good, a sight which once again restored her wavering confidence. Blossom looked at the large iron door. It was time for them to make their move. She hovered in close to the door and reared her arm back, palm open, and struck the door with all her might. It buckled inwards, flying off its hinges with a loud explosion as the metal ripped away from the stone. It soared down what was a massive corridor and disappeared into the darkness, coming to land upon the floor with a loud screech that echoed throughout the tower's interior.

The girls stared into the vast corridor that seemed to have no end. It looked like a giant dungeon with several passageways leading this way and that. The air was surprisingly cold for a demon's dwelling place. Blossom could see her breath against the frigid air. The stone inside was as black as it was outside and gave the place a dismal feel. The girls entered the corridor cautiously, traversing it lengthwise while looking for some sign pointing to Him's particular dwelling. It was surprisingly well lit inside the tower despite the complete lack of any visible light source It was as if the walls themselves were giving off light. The girls stayed close together, not risking getting separated in such a large place. It seemed all to easy to get lost, as every room they entered offered several more passage ways in which to choose from.

"Bubbles, can you sense where Him is," Blossom asked her sister.

Bubbles gave Blossom a defeated look. "I can't feel anything aside from you. It's as if the walls of this place prevent the passage of energy between the rooms. I can't even feel the faintest traces of Him."

Blossom sighed with exasperation. Him obviously did not want to be found so easily. He had covered his bases well. It would take pure luck to locate his hiding place, and that was if they made it without running into one of the Rowdyruffs.

Neither girl notice a black mass crawling along the floor towards them. It blended in so well with the black stone that it was all but invisible to the naked eye. It crept up from behind the two girls and slithered beneath Bubbles' feet. She barely had time to release a shrill scream before she disappeared into the black puddle. Blossom turned sharply upon hearing the abruptly cut off cry from her sister. Bubbles was nowhere in sight and Blossom began to panic. There was no way that she could of just vanished. Something must have gotten to her and dragged her off down one of the passages. She called out to her sister as loud as she could, but got no reply aside from the persistent echo of her own voice. She launched herself down the nearest corridor, frantically weaving in an out of the many passages, trying desperately to catch up with a foe she knew was probably well out of her reach by now. After several minutes of searching for her sister Blossom fell to the floor defeated. Bubbles was gone and now she had lost her bearings in the maze of passageways. She fought back the urge to cry. Bubbles could be dead by now and there was nothing she could do. Whatever had gotten to her had been quick and efficient. She never even got a glimpse of what happened. It was as if Bubbles just vanished into thin air. Could it have been one of the Rowdyruffs?

Blossom could not allow herself to be a second victim. She had to somehow find Him and take him down. He was the mastermind behind all of this. If she could survive long enough to kill him than his demonic hold on the city would be released. The Rowdyruff Boys, who were his pawns after all, would probably follow him back to hell and the city would be safe once more.

Blossom observed the room she was in. It was very large and rectangular in shape, spanning several hundred feet from wall to wall and a good hundred feet from floor to ceiling. It like everything else was of black stone, with the eerie light that seemed to have no visible source. There were statues of all sorts lining the walls and sitting atop pillars set in the walls and ledges carved into the stone. They portrayed gruesome figures, demons and monstrous beasts of all sorts. The ceiling tapered upwards into a large arch.

By now Blossom had lost all her bearings. She had hoped to travel in a constant direction so she could be sure she was heading deeper into the tower, but in her frantic search for Bubbles she had lost all sense of which way was which. She decided to pick a direction and stick with it. There were several passages leading out of the room she was in. They all seemed to lead in various directions, going up, down, left, right, and some traveling at odd slants. The first order of business would be to establish a focal point from which she could draw a map in her mind. If she traveled around enough she could conjure a large enough map in her head and use it to find some pattern within the architect of the tower. Blossom picked a random direction and began her quest. She did not know how long it would take her, or how well her results would help her, but she had little choice seeing as she was lost. Logic was all she had now and it would have to carry her until she could start to make sense of things.

In another part of the tower a patch of darkness that clung to the ceiling writhed steadily and then spat out a body onto the hard stone floor. It was Bubbles, unconscious and shivering a great deal. She awoke with an intense headache, her head spinning and her vision blurred. As she eyed her surroundings she realized that she could not tell where she was. Everything was different than she last remembered. Suddenly Bubbles remembered the blackness that swallowed her. It was icy cold and she felt like she was suffocating within it. She must have blacked out, for she could not recall how she came to be where she was. Perhaps she had gotten caught in a portal of some sort. Bubbles' thoughts were interrupted as an intense shiver passed through her body. She instinctively spun around and found herself staring straight into a pair of deep blue eyes. The face was unmistakably familiar. She started and stumbled backwards onto her backside, looking up at the deep blue eyes.

"Surprised to see me again?" the man spoke. He grinned devilishly, leaning over Bubbles so that his face was nearly touching hers. His body, enshrouded in a black cloak, seemed to lack solid form, and bowed over like a supple tree in a strong wind. The fabric of his garments seemed more like a liquid than anything else, and it stretched like rubber, giving the man an abnormally tall appearance.

"Boomer!" Bubbles whispered to herself in shock. She tried to inch away from the man, but he stretched forward after her, remaining close to her face. Wisps of his cloak stretched outwards and began to encircle her, lightly caressing her in a way that sent shivers down her spine.

"Well well well. If it isn't my favorite little Powerpuff," Boomer spoke in a mocking tone. "Come to save the day once again just like you always do. Well I think not little Powerpuff."

Boomer proceeded to inch closer towards Bubbles, the folds of his cloak stretching out like tentacles, embracing her in an icy blanket of blackness. Bubble couldn't bare the frosty embrace and she fired lasers from her eyes straight into Boomer's eyes, stunning him momentarily and causing him to recoil slightly from shock. She then quickly leapt to her feet and rush headlong at Boomer, throwing a punch at his midsection. To her surprise he caught her fist in his hand and he began to slowly crush it in his grasp. He smiled wickedly and gave her wrist a quick twist, causing Bubbles to fall to her knees.

"Nice try little Powerpuff, but I live for pain," Boomer declared with a victorious grin.

Bubbles struggled against the Boomer's powerful grip, gritting her teeth through the intense pain shooting up her arm. Boomer's grasp was like a pneumatic vice grip built of solid duranium, and it refused to budge despite her greatest effort. "I won't let you and your brothers turn this city into a living hell," Bubbles gasped, her words labored from her pain. Boomer simply burst into a cruel laughter that echoed throughout the black room.

"You don't have much of a choice now do you Bubbles. You and your sisters will ultimately die by the hands of me and my brothers and we will rule your pathetic city along with the rest of the world. There is no way you can stop us. Our years in Hell have made us stronger than you could ever imagine. Your only hope is to pledge eternal servitude to me and give me both your body and your soul. I would keep you as my little pet and you would tend to my every want and desire."

"You can have my dead rotting corpse," Bubbles spat, a look of utter contempt on her face. Boomer simply smiled.

"So be it my little Powerpuff." Boomer extended his free hand and struck Bubbles with such force that she was sent hurtling into the far wall. She smashed into the hard stone, which remained unscathed despite the sheer force of her collision, and fell in a mangled heap onto the floor. Bubbles body ached from head to toe. She had never felt something so hard as that black stone. She strained to climb to her feet, but a heavy foot kept her pinned to the floor.

"Perhaps you would like to reconsider my offer," Boomer casually suggested as he pressed down against Bubbles' back. Bubbles could hardly breath and she struggled against the floor to relieve the pressure from her chest. The stone floor refused to yield to the intense pressure that Boomer was generating beneath his foot and instead it was Bubbles' ribs that were beginning to give way. Soon Bubbles could no longer take in air and her ribs crackled and popped noisily in her chest, threatened to collapse at any moment from the ever increasing pressure. Bubbles was thrown into a fit of panic, her mind swirling into a vortex of terror and desperation. She could no longer see clearly and the burning pain numbed all her other senses. Consciousness was leaving her fast and she began to see bright flashes of light before finally sinking into darkness.


	6. A Brooding Hatred

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Chapter 6: A Brooding Hatred

Deep within the giant tower Him was busy admiring his new abode. It was certainly better than that hunk of floating rock he called home in that alternate prison dimension that he had been banished to. He toured his new domain, making changes here and there as he saw fit with his demon powers. He did not notice Brick emerge from the shadows, and he approached the demon from behind, interrupting his redecorating with a loud cough. Him spun around and frowned at his servant.

"What is the meaning of disturbing me Lucifage. I do not remember summoning you."

"My apologies Urobach, but we must discuss the matter of completing our task of securing this city in the name of Hell. You must raise the beryth nexus and establishing a link between our world and this world. Only you know the spell and we must not allow time to waste."

"You impudent fool," Him bellowed. "How dare you tell me what I must do. I will raise the nexus when I'm good and ready. Now get out of my sight and don't show your face again unless I summon you."

Brick said nothing but turned and disappeared back into the shadows. He emerged in his own dwelling, a large, lavishly decorated room filled with luxuries fit for a king. He sat upon a large round sofa and let out an exasperated sigh. Him's attitude really frustrated him. For such a pathetic demon, he had a very large ego.

"I must learn that spell," Brick thought to himself. "Even if it means tolerating that idiot a little while longer." Brick was growing very impatient with Him, despite his outwardly calm composure. The thought of following the demon's orders for any greater length of time made him sick, but he couldn't risk disposing of Him too soon, not without first obtaining the summoning spell. The beryth nexus was a common spell known by all demon conquers. It created a rift between the demon world and the mortal world in which the energy from Hell could pass freely into the mortal world. This was necessary for demons to live safely amongst the mortal world because a demon lost a considerable amount of power when it was separated from the energies of its own domain.

The years spent in Hell were not wasted as Brick had spent much time researching demon spells. He knew that complex spells were derived from more basic components and that if he could translate the beryth nexus spell he could derive a spell that could create a direct link between his body and the unlimited energies of Hell. In doing so he would become an all powerful demon, one that would rival even the great demon king himself.

Brick relished in the thought. If there was one thing he learned in Hell, it was that you could never be too powerful. Fifteen years ago he had thought that being made from Chemical X made him the strongest being in the world. Little did he know that there was a whole world of beings that made him look like an insect in comparison. Upon his arrival in Hell he had known one thing— he had to have their power, and he intended to do anything it took to get it.

Knowing the ways of Him Brick knew it would be a good while before the demon would decide to open the nexus, so having nothing better to do, Brick decided it would be best to pass the time in silent meditation until the time finally arrived.

It had been two long hours and Blossom was growing weary of traversing the endless network passage ways that seemed to lead her nowhere in particular. She had already made a sizable map in her head, but could find no pattern to the design of the passages. She never even managed to encounter the same room more than once. Every turn only led her led her into a new unexplored room, even if she kept turning round in a tight circle. She decided it would be best to take a quick break and she stopped where she was and rested against a wall. The air around her felt heavy in her lungs and it made her feel abnormally weary. She decided to close her eyes, telling herself that she was just resting them for the moment. Several minutes passed and Blossom drifted into a deep sleep.

The sound of footsteps rose Blossom from her slumber. "Oh no, I've fallen asleep," she exclaimed. She tried to stand up, but was startled to find that not only could she not move, but she was suspended several feet off the ground. In the distance she heard a low chuckle and Blossom blinked a few times and looked in the direction of the sound. Before her was a huge man, at least seven feet tall, with a snow white crown of hair that stuck up in a pillar of spikes. His face bore many scars, and his skin was a dark tan. He looked back at Blossom with an expression of pure amusement. Though he his appearance had changed drastically over the years Blossom immediately recognized the man from the sharp emerald green hue of his eyes. It was Butch, the green clad Rowdyruff from her childhood.

"Well if it isn't Blossom Utonium. I haven't seen your pretty face in over fifteen years." Butch cooed.

"Why am I bound to this wall," Blossom shouted, showing no outward signs of fear though her heart was pounding in her chest.

Butch's smile only broadened. "What's the matter Blossom? You don't look too happy to see me." He took several slow steps forward to close the gap between them. He seemed to relish the ever growing fear that was present in Blossom. "It seems Blossom that you are in a predicament. Your bound to a wall hand and foot, unable to run, unable to fight. You're all alone with no one around to aide you, and you are about to die. What do you do Blossom? What do you do?"

The last line in Butch's statement made Blossom's heart leap in her chest. "Oh my god," she thought, "he's going to kill me." Blossom struggled against her bonds, but to no avail. She looked over at he wrist to see what was holding her down. There was a slab of stone coming directly from the wall, molded over her wrist like a cuff. The same was true for her ankles as well. The stone was much to sturdy for her to break free, and despite her efforts she couldn't even crack it.

"So what do you intent to do Blossom?" Butch continued in a mocking voice. "Do you have some ingenious plan to steal victory and save the day like you have so many times before. Are you going to pull yet another rabbit out of your hat, or perhaps are you all out of tricks?"

Blossom desperately wished she did have a plan. The Rowdyruff had a psychotic look in his eyes that made her stomach churn. The very look of him was that of a madman, and his sheer size of the man didn't help at all to ease her fears. Blossom raced through her mind for a plan of escape. She had to get away, or else she may not survive to see the sun again. Butch looked on impassively, watching Blossom struggle with her thoughts.

"Times running out Blossom," Butch called, the eagerness in his eyes growing steadily. "Its either now or never. What are you going to do?"

Blossom stutter as she tried to find the right words. "y-you can't kill me... Not like this… I-I mean I can't even fight back. I-It wouldn't be a challenge."

Butch burst out in a psychotic laughter that echoed against the stone walls. "A challenge. I could kill you so easily. You would never even see it coming before I cast you into eternal darkness, but no, that would not be any fun now would it? Better to make your death slow and agonizing."

There was a long pause and then to Blossom's surprise Butch fired his eye beams at her wrists and ankles, freeing her from the wall. She landed softly on the floor and looked warily at Butch.

"If you are going to make a move, I suggest you do it now," Butch said, glaring at Blossom with a threatening gaze. Without thinking Blossom fled towards the nearest open corridor, not bothering to look back to see if she were being followed. It seemed she would make a clean getaway, but at the last minute Butch appeared in front of her as if out of thin air. Blossom dug her heels into the ground to keep from running into the man, and stopped mere inches from his body.

"I don't think so." Butch chimed. Blossom stagger backwards in shock and ran in the opposite direction, setting her sights on another passage way and moving even faster than before. Again Butch appeared between her and the doorway, giving her that same mocking smile. Blossom continued racing from door to door, every time being blocked by Butch. After several tries she became desperate and tried to slip past him. He quickly extended one hand and caught her before she could get past and he dragged her body close to his and held her in a tight embrace. Blossom struggled to get free, but Butch only tightened his grasp.

"You didn't think I was going to let you leave so soon. We have so much to catch up on you and I." Butch released his hold on Blossom and shoved her violently to the ground. Butch's tight embrace had taken the wind out of her and she could only lay there gasping for breath. Butch walked over and placed his foot upon her chest, pinned her to the floor.

"I haven't forgotten all the times you've beaten me and my brothers in battle. All those times we came so close to defeating you only to be beaten by some unforeseen tactic. You humiliated us again and again with your underhanded schemes, too cowardly to face us head on, muscle to muscle. You toyed with us and played with out minds, stringing us by the collar all the while. You were always so cocky, so arrogant and full of yourself, and you always had to make it known that you were smarter than we were." Butch's voice grew lower as he spoke and his amused smirk had disappeared altogether. Blossom could see him growing steadily angrier as he spoke.

"It made me sick," Butch continued, "to watch you prancing about all high and mighty and I wanted nothing more than to smash you face in, but I was forced to deal with your sister while my brother took you on. Apparently he couldn't handle you properly, but now he is not here to get in my way, and I doubt you have any 'tactics' that can save you. I have spent fifteen years in Hell Blossom. Fifteen long years training and pushing myself, growing stronger and wiser by the day, waiting patiently for the time that I could pay you back for all the humiliation. If you think that you can get out of this one Blossom, you are more than welcome to try."

Blossom looked on with great fear. She had no idea Butch hated her so much. She had never given him much regard in their battles in the past. To her he was just one of the other Ruffs. It was Brick who had been her real focus, with a level of determination and ambition to match hers, as well as being a leader like herself, even if he did lack some intelligence. Now here he was showing his true feelings towards her, and even worse he was going to act out on them.

"Maybe if I can surprise him I can buy myself enough time to escape," Blossom told herself in her head. Butch looked about ready to tear her apart, eyeing her like a hungry lion ready to pounce on its prey. His muscles were tense and his expression showed nothing short of seething hatred. Whatever she was going to do, she had better act quickly.

Blossom slowly got to her feet, keeping a close eye on Butch who never made a move. He was obviously waiting for her to try something, his eyes remaining glued upon her. Blossom kept the palm of her left hand facing away from Butch and began to produce tiny sharp ice crystals using her ice powers, filling her palm until she had accumulated enough to satisfy her. She then clenched her fist tight and looked over her shoulder at one of the open passages, trying to look as if she were going to make a run for it. She glanced back at Butch, and then the passage, and then at Butch again, hoping to mislead Butch into thinking she would try to run. She took a slow misleading step back and then in a flash tossed the ice crystals into Butch's face, immediately afterwards lunging at him and throwing her knee full force into his crotch. Butch did not even flinch at the attack and simply looked down at Blossom with amusement. Blossom staggered backwards, her knee throbbing with pain. She was dumbfounded, having expected Butch to be keeling over in pain.

"Was that it?" Butch said in a sarcastic tone. "Your intention was to blind me with a bunch of ice and then subdue me with a kick in the groin. How unoriginal. I expected something far more clever from you Blossom. Maybe your losing your touch."

Blossom grit her teeth. "This can't be happening," she thought. "How can he be so damn strong?" She rushed at him again and unleashed a flurry of punches at Butch's midsection, summoning all her strength into each punch. She then reared back and threw a powerful punch at Butch's face. The force of the blow could have shatter a block of diamond two meters thick, but Butch took it as if he were being slapped by a feather.

Butch tilted his head back slightly and then threw it forward, smashing his forehead into Blossom's outstretched fist. The force sent Blossom's whole arm flying back and the sheer momentum carried the rest of her body along with it, sending her flying several meters back. The pain in Blossom's arm was unbearable. It felt like every pain nerve was firing at once, and she couldn't move it despite her efforts. She pushed herself to her feet with her good arm looking over at her bad arm to see how bad the damage was. The bone was shattered all the way up to her shoulder and Blossom's arm hung at her side like a limp noodle. It disgusted her and she immediately turned away and her eyes fell upon Butch who was looking more smug than ever.

"How does it feel Blossom? The pain must be unbearable, like your arm is burning from the inside out. Am I right?" Butch approached Blossom and glared at her with a menacing smile. "If you think that's real pain you're sadly mistaken. There is a whole world of pain you have yet to experience, a level of torment you couldn't possible comprehend. Imagine the anguish of a thousand souls passing through your body at once. It is a feeling you never forget Blossom, a feeling I personally would like to share with you."

Butch lifted Blossom off the ground by the neck, barely giving her space to breath. He then proceeded to punch her in the stomach again and again, relishing in the cries of anguish that passed through her lips. He then tossed her to the ground and began to grind her face into the floor with the heel of his shoe, twisting his foot with violent thrusts.

"Your not putting up much of a fight Blossom," Butch mocked. "I thought the leader of the Powerpuff Girls would have more spunk. I guess you have grown soft after all these years." Butch removed his foot from Blossom's face and gave her a swift kick in the midsection, causing her to soar into the far wall. Her body slammed into the hard stone, cracking it slightly. The wall wasn't the only thing that cracked as the collision had broken both her pelvis and her spine. Butch hovered over to Blossom's seemingly lifeless form. She was hardly breathing and a stream of blood flowed from her mouth. She opened her eyes and looked up helplessly at Butch, too weak to move or even to speak.

"Pathetic. Just pathetic," Butch said with disgust. He grabbed Blossom by the hair and lifted her face to his. He looked on with complete apathy as he pinned her hard against the wall and began to strike her again and again. Blossom could feel her ribs collapse and her organs being crushed with each blow. Butch was merciless in his assault, pummeling her with an animalistic fury. After several minutes he reared his fist for one last punch, and hurled it at Blossom's face with incredible power. The force sent Blossom through the wall and she lay in a lifeless heap amidst the rubble on the other side, barely recognizable from the brutal beating she had endured. Butch looked at the body with pure satisfaction, his lips curled into a sadistic smile. "Die in anguish Blossom," He said callously, and he then turned away from Blossom's mangled body and casually walked off.


	7. One Puff's Fury

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Chapter 7: One Puff's Fury

Bubbles awoke face down against the cold stone floor. Her chest was burning and she found it very difficult to breath. She rolled on her back to help alleviate some of the pressure on her chest and was startled to find that she was in a completely different room than what she was before.

It was perfectly circular and completely barren except for a pool a black liquid in its center. Bubbles got to her feet and made her way towards the pool, looking curiously over the edge. Although pitch black the pool seemed to reflect her image like a mirror. Bubbles suddenly felt drawn to it, as if the black waters were calling to her. She reached out her hand to touch the liquid, but stopped when she heard a voice behind her.

"I wouldn't touch that If I were you," Bubbles recognized the voice immediately and spun around to see Boomer smiling back at her. "That there is seether," Boomer continued, "an elixir made from the very blood of the demon king himself. It is fatal to mortals. A very deadly toxin indeed."

Bubbles staggered backwards in fear, remembering how just earlier Boomer was trying to kill her. Boomer watched with amusement at the fear in Bubble's eye.

"You are wondering why I kept you alive aren't you Bubbles. Well I must admit to you I have something of a weakness for pretty things, so I decided that I would much rather keep you as a trophy than see you dead. You would make such a pretty ornament for my dwelling. It is somewhat barren wouldn't you say?" Boomer motioned towards the surrounding walls.

Bubbles looked on with disgust. The last thing she wanted was to be made some sort of toy for a twisted demon. She turned and ran towards the nearest exit, but Boomer waved his hand and a blob of black liquid shot from the pool and engulfed Bubbles. The liquid migrated along Bubbles' body to her hands and down to her legs and then stretched upwards towards the ceiling and downwards towards the floor. It then hardened into solid stone leaving Bubbles suspended midway between the ceiling and the floor, her hands bound above her head by one strand and her feet secured to the floor by the other.

Boomer casually walked up to Bubbles and looked her up and down. "Seems you'll be hanging around here for quite a while Bubbles. Those bonds are made from the same stone as these walls and not even a Powerpuff can break them. Whether you like it or not you're mine now. You may not be able to accept that now, but in time you will learn." Boomer then turned and made his way over to the black pool. He stepped into it and sunk beneath the surface, leaving Bubbles alone in the barren room. She struggled against the solid stone that bound her hands and legs, but it refused to budge despite her greatest efforts. After several minutes she gave up trying to escape. She was trapped, and it seemed that this tower was to forever be her prison. Bubbles' heart sank as the thought dawned on her. She didn't want it to end like this. She had envisioned at least to die in battle, perhaps against him or one of the Rowdyruffs, but instead she was to kept alive as a trophy, to remain within these dismal wall for the rest of her life. She would have much rather died.

Much time passed and Bubbles hang there lamenting in self pity. All hope seemed lost for her as the hours past. She stared continuously at the black pool, expecting Boomer to reemerge at any moment, but he never did. As she stared at the black waters they called to her as they had done earlier when she had first looked over the edge of the pool. She wondered what it was about the liquid, why it continued to draw her too it. It was as if it wanted to consume her, to make her apart of it. It didn't really matter anyway. She was bound and could not move even if she wanted too. She closed her eyes to try and block out the black pool. It seemed effective enough, as the strange yearning seemed to vanish when she was not looking at the pool.

Suddenly Bubbles became aware of a new sensation. In the deepest regions of her soul she could feel a deep anguish, as of someone experiencing great pain. It grew steadily stronger until Bubbles was able to feel it surging through her entire body. A surge of terror passed through her as she realized what it was.

"My god! Blossom is dying." Bubbles struggled against her bonds, the screams of her sister ringing in her mind. The screams of pain continued to grow louder as she fought desperately to escape her bonds. She couldn't stand the though of her sister experiencing so much pain and she became frantic in her struggle, fighting with a strength she didn't know she had. The rock began to crack against her desperate struggle, bucking against her emerging power. Suddenly it shattered altogether and Bubbles shot out the door, not even thinking about where she was going. She weaved through the maze of corridors, guided only by her intuition in her desperate search to find her sister.

It seemed like an eternity as Bubbles followed her sister's fading energy, frantically trying to catch up to her before it was too late. She finally found Blossom buried in a pile of rubble. She madly tore away at the rubble, revealing Blossom's mangled body. She was barely recognizable through the extensive damage to her body, her face smashed up and covered in blood and her body badly deformed from numerous broken bones. Bubbles lifted Blossom from the debris and gently placed her on the floor. She knelt over her and placed both her hands on her chest, feeling for any signs of life. There was a faint trace of energy emanating from Blossom, a faint trace of life still within her mangled body. Bubbles released a sigh of relief as tears began streaming down her face. "Its going to be okay Blossom," Bubbles whispered to her unconscious sister. "I'm not going to let you die."

Suddenly a powerful hand grabbed Bubbles by the shoulder and tossed her across the room. Before she could recover a heavy foot landed hard upon her chest. Bubbles opened her eyes to see Boomer standing over her with a wicked grin.

"Well well well. Isn't this a familiar situation," he mocked. "I guess I should have killed you after all."

Bubbles felt a growing anger rising inside her. Blossom was dying and Boomer was now preventing her from saving her life. She could not allow her sister to die, not matter what. She struggled against Boomers foot, but he only pressed down on her harder, laughing down at her with a sadistic smile. Bubbles' blood began to boil and she seized Boomer's ankle tightly within her grasp. With a newfound strength she began to slowly lift his foot off of her chest.

"What the Hell," Boomer thought. "Where is she getting all this power from. Just a moment ago she could barely fight back." He struggled to keep Bubbles beneath him, but she managed to twist his foot and break his ankle. He cried out in pain and withdrew his foot and Bubbles leapt to her feet and rushed the preoccupied Rowdyruff, hitting him hard in the face. He was sent flying through the far wall and landed in a dazed heap on the other side.

Bubbles wasted no time in scooping up Blossom's body and taking off down the nearest corridor. She flew with lightning quickness, guided once again by her intuition as she made her way towards the exit. In no time it seemed she was out the giant doorway that led into the tower and back in the open of the deserted city streets. She carried Blossom far away from the tower and set her down on a grassy hill on the outskirts of the city.

For a long while Bubbles waited, expecting to see Boomer appear from the distance, but he never did. She looked down at Blossom who was barely breathing. Any normal person would have been dead from such a brutal beating, but Blossom was hanging onto life by a thread. Her Chemical X physiology was able to hold on despite the extensive damage to her system, but if she didn't do something quickly, Blossom would eventually die.

Bubbles thought about her father. Surely he could save Blossom. No, he hardly knew anything about the Powerpuff physiology. He had never taken the time to truly understand how the girls worked from the inside. He was simply to busy with other things. She would need somebody who had extensive knowledge on the physiology of a Chemical X being, someone who knew their physiology inside and out. Someone like… Mojo.

Mojo Jojo had always dedicated himself to destroying her and her sisters. He had gathered a wealth of information on their physiology in his desperate attempt to find a weakness in them. If anyone could save Blossom, It would be him.

Bubbles gathered Blossom's body and made her way to Mojo's volcano top observatory. She spied Mojo with her x-ray vision watching television in his living room. She crashed through the roof, landing right between Mojo and the TV. He was not very happy and he shook his fist madly at Bubbles.

"What is the meaning of breaking into my home. Can you not see that I, Mojo Jojo, am watching television. This is an outrage, an indignation, a direct violation of my privacy. I haven't even committed any crimes lately. Heck, I haven't committed a crime in the past three years, so explain to me why is it that you have suddenly broken into my home while I, Mojo Jojo, am watching television and not committing any sort of crime."

Bubbles placed Blossom onto the couch and looked at Mojo sadly. "She's dying Mojo. You have to help her."

"Impossible," Mojo interjected. "You Powerpuffs have regenerative abilities. I know that because I myself have bestowed great injuries unto you in the past, only to see you recover at a remarkable rate. Blossom will probably be back to her old self in a week."

"No Mojo. The damage is too extensive. Her body can't repair itself properly. If you don't help her she _will_ die."

Mojo pondered for a moment then went to observe Blossom. He pressed against different parts of her body, assessing the damage. "Yes, the damage to her body is quite extensive. Even from the outside I can tell that many of her vital organs are beyond her body's ability to repair. I guess she will die after all. Oh well. That's just too bad. Now if you will please remove yourself from my house so that I may go back to watching television in peace.

Bubbles stood there completely dumbstruck by the cold heartedness of Mojo. She threw herself at the monkey's feet, tears filling her eyes. "Please Mojo, you've got to help her," she pleaded. "She's my sister. I just can't let her die. Please. Find it in your heart. You're the only one who can save her."

Mojo looked at Bubbles with great annoyance. "Why should I save your sister's life?" he said coldly. "It would certainly not be helping me in any way, shape or form. After all, you are my enemy, and being my enemy, it would only be to my advantage if one of you died, as it is something that I myself have been trying to achieve for a very long time now, so suffice it to say, I will not, shall not, and further more, refuse to help you save your sister's life, as it would only prove the hinder my plans of ultimately destroying you three, which is what I have been dedicated my life to doing in the first place, so in closing, goodbye, sayonara, see you later, you know the way out, and don't forget to take you sister with you."

Bubbles remained unmoving, her sorrow now being replaced by a burning rage. She glared at Mojo with such an intense fierceness that he began to back away in fear.

"Uh, Bubbles? Is something wrong?" Mojo said meekly

In a flash Bubbles pinned Mojo against the wall, he hand clasped tightly around the simian's throat. He gasped for breath as she squeezed ever tighter.

"Now listen up you worthless ape," Bubbles growled, her eyes ablaze with intense anger, "if Blossom dies, you die, and don't think I won't hesitate to kill you. I would sooner rip your lungs out and strangle you with your own intestines you disgusting piece of simian filth. Now unless you want to see how you look on the inside I suggest you figure out a way to SAVE MY SISTER."

By now Mojo was shivering with absolute terror. He had never seen such a frightening side of Bubbles, who was usually so kind and gentle, even as a superhero. Bubbles let him drop to the floor and waited for him to catch his breath. He looked up at her and gave a nervous smile. "I-I think w-we should get B-Blossom to my laboratoy right away," he stammered. Bubbles gathered Blossom and followed Mojo to his laboratory. There he led her to his medical lab and he had her place Blossom onto a metal table.

"This is going to require intensive surgery," Mojo told Bubbles. "I should be able to repair enough of the damage so that her natural regenerative ability can take over. If she's lucky she'll pull through on her own and make a full recovery."

"You'd better make sure she does," Bubbles threatened.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room Bubbles. This operation will be delicate and I will need to eliminate all… uh… distractions."

Bubbles left Mojo to his work, pulling a chair up just outside the medlab. The hours passed and she sat unmoving, waiting for any word on Blossom's state of health. She was startled when Mojo woke her up. She had not realized she had fallen asleep. Mojo had a nervous look on his face and Bubbles wondered what it meant.

"I have done all I can for Blossom right now," Mojo said, "I will have to wait 48 hours to continue the surgery. She may or may not make it in that time. If she does, her chances of survival are practically guaranteed. A great deal of this rests on her ability to regenerate. I can only help to keep her alive while her body does the work."  


Bubbles looked skeptically at Mojo, but realized there probably wasn't much else he could do. She got to her feet and began to walk off. "I will be back in 48 hours then," she called as she disappeared from the laboratory.

Mojo let out a sigh of relief and fell back into the chair Bubbles was sitting in. "At least I can rest easy for the next 48 hours. I only hope that Blossom pulls through… for my sake."


	8. Bubbles Goes Super Hardcore

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Chapter 8: Bubbles Goes Super Hardcore

Him was making his way down a long spiral staircase, gliding just above the ground to save himself from the tedium of taking each step in turn. It grew steadily hotter as he circled deeper and deeper into the sublevels of his tower and the walls went from a jet black to the color of glowing coals. Eventually the staircase emptied into a wide corridor, at the end of which a bright white glow could be seen. Him made his way down the long corridor and into the room where the light spilling out from.

The room itself was massive, the walls and ceiling all but lost from sight. In the center of the room was a giant sphere of white energy. Him eyed the sphere with great satisfaction, rubbing his claws together and grinning broadly.

"The accumulative life force of all the people in this city. Little do the people know that their own life energy is being sucked from them with every passing second," Him said. "In time this tower will have absorbed enough energy to open the Beryth Nexus and I will be reunited with the powers I have so long since been separated from," Him raised one hand and sucked up a small wisp of energy into his palm. The white light was absorbed into his body and he shuddered with delight as he felt the life force of thousands course through his veins. Suddenly he became aware of something he hadn't expected to feel, three distinct energies that should not have been there. Him scowled when he realized the alarming truth. For some reason or another the Powerpuff Girls were still alive, and that meant that his plans of dominating the city were in jeopardy.

The sun was rising for the second time since Him first proclaimed ownership over the City of Townsville and all of its inhabitants. Bubbles had been sitting for many hours against the trunk of an old oak tree on a hill overlooking the city. Her knees were drawn in close to her chest and stared at half devastated city, wondering about what she was going to do. So many terrible things had happened. Him had managed to tear apart a good portion of the city with the creation of his oversized dwelling. Both Blossom and Buttercup were out of commission due to injuries sustained by the now seemingly invincible Rowdyruff Boys. It all seemed hopeless and Bubbles was feeling deeply depressed. She couldn't imagine what she could possibly do, if she was capable of doing anything at all, to save the City of Townsville.

A blaze in the distance caught Bubbles' attention. Someone had started a fire in the suburbs and it had since spread into a wild conflagration. She jumped to her feet and flew off towards the fire. Even amidst this great crisis she could not ignore the basic duties of being a superhero.

The fire was even larger than Bubbles had anticipated as she flew high above the wild blaze. It had consumed nearly a third of the Pokey Oaks district including and a small portion of the neighboring Lucky Pine district. She suddenly felt sick when she realized her house was deep in the heart of the blaze. She didn't know what to expect as she raced full speed to where her house sat. When she got there she was too late. The flames had already done their work, reducing the house to a pile of burning sticks and ash. Bubbles knew nobody in the wreckage could possibly be alive. Even if her father was able to get out of the house he would certainly be killed in the surrounding blaze.

Bubbles held back the tears that wanted so much to spill fourth. She had focus on finding a way to put the flames out. She wished that Blossom was with her. She could use her ice breath to put out the blaze. But Blossom was not with her, and she needed to subdue the flames before they spread any further. She thought hard about the different ways to put out a fire. The first thought that came to mind was water, but how was she going to carry enough to put out such a tremendous fire. Bubbles could only think of one way she could pull off such a feat. She would have to use a power that she currently had little control over. It was a long shot, but she had to try.

Bubbles made her way towards lake in Townsville park and landed at its bank. She closed her eyes and directed her hands at the water, focusing on it with all her might. At first nothing happened, but slowly a tiny drop of water began to rise, followed by another drop, and then a thin stream. Bubbles strained with all her might to lift more and more water from the lake telekinetically. Soon she had a steady pillar of water rising above the lake's surface. The water was condensed into a ball above her head and it steadily grew as more and more water was sucked into it.

"This is too slow," Bubbles thought as the amount of water she collected was hardly enough to put out the entire blaze. Not one to give up, she threw every ounce of energy she had into lifting the waters of the lake. All at once the whole lake began to rise, sitting as if in a gigantic bowl. It was all Bubbles could do to keep herself from dropping the heavy load, but she held firm and steadied the lake above her head before making her way back towards the fire. When she got back to the blaze she positioned the lake at the center of the fire and released her hold on the water. It dropped like a bomb, exploding outwards in a tidal wave that consumed the flames until none were left. When the water had completely receded there was little left of the burnt down neighborhood.

Bubbles fell to the ground in exhaustion. Telekinesis was one of her weaker powers and it had taken all her energy to keep the lake from spilling prematurely. She rolled onto her back and let her lids slide closed. All at once the pain of loss came upon her and tears streamed down her face. There was no telling how many people had lost their lives in the blaze, and amongst them was her own father. The thought of so many people needlessly losing their lives was more than Bubbles could take. It seemed that all around her people were suffering and dying, and all because of Him and the Rowdyruff Boys.

All at once Bubbles was filled with a burning rage. What Him had done was unforgivable and he had to pay for what he did. She was going to stop him if it killed her, and not even the Rowdyruff Boys would stand in her way.

Despite her fatigue she got to her feet and turned towards the demon tower, bolting off in a flash of blue. She speeded forward with a newfound strength, fueled by bitter anger and a lust for vengeance. In only a short lapse of time she was upon the demon tower, and she circled until she found the large front entrance. To her surprise the Rowdyruff Boomer was waiting for her, sitting on a ledge just above the giant iron door.

"I see you got my calling card Bubbles. I was wondering when you would finally get here," Boomer said looking on at Bubbles with an air of smugness.

Bubbles looked on with complete disbelief. At first she didn't say anything, but only quivered slightly as Boomer's remark slowly sunk in. "How… how could you," she said, her voice quivering with rage. "All those people. All dead because of you."

"It was all too easy. None of them even saw it coming until it was too late," Boomer stated with obvious enjoyment. "What's the matter Bubbles. You seem angry with me. Is it because your father was also in that fire?"

Bubbles was struck hard by Boomer's words. Her eyes now blazed with an unbridled fury as she glared at the Rowdyruff with the deepest contempt.

"Aww Bubbles. Don't you fret. Your father is not dead… yet," Boomer said. "I have him tucked away safe and sound. He'll be all right for the time being."

"WHERE IS HE," Bubbles screeched, threatening to throw herself upon Boomer at any moment. 

"If you really want to know Bubbles I'll be glad to show you," said Boomer. Telepathically he transmitted and image of the professor unconscious and half imbedded in a slab of stone. His clothes were tattered and he had burns all over his exposed flesh. "If you want him, you will have to get through me first little girl," Boomer continued, "but I certainly don't mind spilling the blood of two people today."

This was more than Bubbles could handle. She let out a fierce cry and launched herself at Boomer, grabbing at his throat. He quickly grabbed at her wrists, stopping her just shy of his neck, but the momentum of Bubbles' approach sent them both into the tower wall and he was pinned down as she desperately tried to get at throat.

"C'mon Bubbles. Is that all you got," Boomer taunted. He wrenched Bubbles' arms apart and kicked her swiftly in the jaw, sending her flying in the opposite direction. Bubbles stopped herself in mid flight and charged Boomer again, punching at his face with all she could muster, but in a flash he grabbed her by the wrist with one hand and used her own momentum to send her crashing into the wall. Before she could move he pinned her against the wall with one hand clasped around her neck.

"Your not going to get anywhere if you fight like that Bubbles," Boomer continued to jeer at Bubbles. "Why don't you give up and spare yourself the humiliation."

Bubbles tucked her knees up to her chest and slammed her heels into Boomer's midsection. She then launched herself at the stunned Rowdyruff and, clasping her hands together into one fist, smashed him in the back of the head, sending him spiraling into the ground. Boomer disappeared beneath the pavement as was buried beneath several meters of rubble. An instant later he exploded from the rubble and ascended to Bubbles' level.

"That's it Bubbles, show me your true power," Boomer said to himself. "Show me that unbridled fury that you showed me during our last encounter."

Bubbles wasted no time in attacking Boomer again, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks in pronounced and powerful strikes. Her heightened aggression failed to rouse any concern in Boomer, who was still deflecting her attacks with little effort. He did all he could to degrade the Powerpuff as he knocked her down again and again, throwing taunts at her all the while.

Fatigue was beginning to take its toll on Bubbles. She was fighting harder than she had all her life, and she could feel her body slowly succumbing to exhaustion. She refused to back down in bitter anger and resentment and she continued her assault on Boomer full force. Boomer on the other hand was growing more and more disappointed at the level of strength Bubbles was fighting at. He was certain that attacking her emotionally would cause her unleash a whole new level of power. She was certainly fighting harder than normal, but it was not enough.

Bubbles had rushed at Boomer once again after being knocked into the side of a building. Boomer transformed both his arms into black tendrils and wrapped them around Bubbles until she was bound so tightly that she couldn't move. He lifted her up to his face, watching as she struggled desperately to get free of his grasp.

"I'm disappointed Bubbles. I thought you would be more than of challenge," Boomer said. "After all, you were able to break my ankle in one twist and you were able to break free from the special stone that I used to bind you. I guess I assumed too much from you. I guess I will have to dispose of you and then your pathetic father. After I'm through with him I'll take care of your sisters as well. Maybe I'll start with Blossom. She'll be easy pickings after what my brother did to her."

Boomer began to squeeze Bubbles like a boa constrictor squeezes a helpless rodent. It all seemed too easy as Bubbles' body gave way to the increasing pressure of the tightening tendrils. Bubbles' was squinting hard as the pain of her body being crushed surged through every nerve. Her jaw was locked shut in a grimace that could only describe pure agony. Boomer began to hear the faint sounds of popping as Bubbles joints began to loosen. He made sure to go as slow as possible, testing the very limits of Bubbles' body under the ever increasing pressure.

Suddenly Bubbles eye sprang open and Boomer was shocked to see the cornea was filled with a dark blue glow, obscuring all detail in the eye and making her seem like ghost. He became aware of a growing resistance within his grasp. The bones that before were giving way so easily suddenly grew impossibly rigid and the muscles were working their way outwards, forcing his grip to expand against his will. The expression of agony that was written on her face was now one of sheer focus and determination. Boomer became aware that he was loosing his grip on the Powerpuff as she fought to free herself from his grasp. He put everything he had into keeping the woman steady, but it was too late. She had now managed to muster enough strength to withstand even his tightest grip, and furthermore she was still managing to extend it further and further.

"I won't let you hurt them. I won't let you hurt any of them," Bubbles said in a steadily rising tone. Although not visible to the naked eye Boomer could see an aura of blue light accumulating around Bubbles. It was growing brighter by the second until it was finally within the spectrum of visible light. Finally Bubbles let out a scream of such intensity that the resulting shockwave ripped the surrounding earth to gravel. There was a brilliant flash and Boomer could feel himself being carried away by an intense force over which he had no control. It felt like forever before he felt his body collide with the earth. When he opened his eyes he found himself in a distant part of the Townsvlle ruins, far off from where he and Bubbles had fought. Although Bubbles was too far off to be seen in detail her could clearly see a bright blue aura surrounding her. This made him smile with deep satisfaction.

"Yes, that's the kind of power I was looking for," Boomer said to himself. He flew high into the air and made his way back over to the now supercharged Bubbles. Now bothering to wait for him to reach her, Bubbles flew top speed in Boomer's direction. Her approach was so fast that Boomer was caught completely off guard and she hit him full force by an uppercut that sent him skyrocketing like a shooting star. She followed his ascent and abruptly halted his upward momentum with another powerful punch. Boomer careened towards the earth like a blazing comet, hitting the ground with such a force that he created a pit nearly a dozen meters deep. This was followed immediately by an intense white beam of energy that flew straight into the pit, generating a large explosion that resulted in a deep crater.

Bubbles waited for any signs of the Rowdyruff through the rising dust. Her eyes barely caught a black streak as it shot upwards through the cloud of debris. She could sense the movement of Boomer as he moved in behind her with hardly a second passing. She turned to face him, but before she could even align her vision onto him he struck her with a solid punch straight in the face. She flew back several hundred meters before she halted herself in mid air. For a short moment the two stared down each other in tense silence.

Boomer couldn't help but grin as he felt the intense energy Bubble was generating. This was the moment he had been waiting for. "Now the fun can really begin," he thought to himself.

****

Footnote:

Another thanks to all of you who have reviewed my story, and especially to those repeated reviewers. Special thanks to Libertygirl0115 for giving me then incentive to finally get this chapter done and up. As for the rest of you out there, review, review, review. I would do the same for you if I read your stories. Honestly, I really would. As for me I'll try not to disappoint y'all with the upcoming chapters, so stay tuned for the next exciting episode of "**_Dark Brothers of Hell_**". *cue ending credits sounding strangely familiar to Dragonball Z*


	9. A Turn For the Worst

Yay! A new chapter. Ain't I a nice guy. Nice guys deserve nice reviews, so review review review. That means you. And you too. Yeah you. That's right. The one with the glasses. I'm talking to you buddy. Press that button at the bottom of the chapter and leave your review and I promise I won't come afta you, aiight.

Enjoy now!

Chapter 9: A Turn For the Worst

Buttercup felt like she was going insane. In a fit of frustration she pitched her bed through the window and it fell with a loud crash onto the concrete below, shattering into splinters. She was sick of being confined to this tiny room, unable to tell what was going on outside. It had been almost a day and she had heard no news from both Bubbles and Blossom. She just had to know what was going on. Broken bones or not, she was going to get out of there and nobody was going to stop her.

She took off through the broken window and flew full speed into the night. She knew where she wanted to go. It did not take long for her to reach her destination. Buttercup circled low and spotted the entrance that would lead her into the demon tower.

She wasted no time and dove right into the tower, entering the cavernous interior. She darted down the lengthy corridor, arbitrarily turning this way and that, not even paying attention to where she was going. She traveled for what seemed like hours, growing extremely frustrated as one empty corridor led to another. She had expected to have been immediately thrown into a battle upon entering the tower, but instead it was dead silent in the endless maze.

Buttercup eventually stopped her flying and took a moment to get her head together. She took a look around to see if she could get her bearings. The room looked the same as all the others, with different proportions, but having the same bleak emptiness as the others.

"Maybe I should have looked where I was going," Buttercup thought to herself, realizing just how lost she was. "I wonder if Bubbles and Blossom are lost here too. That would explain why they haven't come back to the hospital to report to me. I should try to contact them somehow." Buttercup thought hard about how she could reach her sisters in the seemingly endless maze of corridors around her. She then got an idea. She could use her supersonic voice to call out to them. The walls seemed perfect for carrying the sound and one of them would be bound to hear her call. She drew in a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs, "BUBBLES! BLOSSOM! WHERE ARE YOU."

Just as she thought her voice echoed down the corridors, sounding as if fifty Buttercups were calling the same message all throughout the tower. She waited, hearing no reply, and so decided to try again. She called out to them even louder than before, but still the only voice she heard was her own. She decided to give it one more try, but this time instead of saying anything in particular she just screamed as loud and as long as she could. She found she had had to stop short because her own voice reverberating through the chamber a thousand times over was becoming a strain on her ears. She waited and listened as the echoes slowly faded into nonexistence. In its place was complete and total silence.

"Where the hell are those two," Buttercup thought to herself. "There is no way their super sonic hearing couldn't have picked that up. She decided to wait it out where she was. There was no point in moving anyway so she was better off staying still. If her sisters heard her they would surely give some sort of sign. Perhaps if she focused really hard she would hear their faint cries through the walls.

She closed her eyes and cleared her head, emptying her mind of all thought as she listened intently for any sound whatsoever. Even in her focused state, she could not hear a sound. Suddenly she caught wind of a steady rhythm. It sounded like a heart beat, and it was drawing nearer and nearer. She listened intently as the rhythm grew steadily louder. It was moving around her, but the owner was managing to stay out of sight somehow. Patiently she waited, listening as the heartbeat found its way directly behind her. There was now the sound of breathing, the sound of footsteps, muffled beyond human hearing but clear as day to her ears. She could feel the air moving as a form moved ever closer towards her.

"Hello Buttercup. Long time, no see." came a deep voice from behind her. "I thought is was your voice that I heard being carried by the walls." Buttercup spun around to find herself looking into the fierce green eyes of her Rowdyruff counterpart. He gleamed at with a menacing glare that spelled death and destruction.

"Well, if it isn't Butch. You like you've been through hell," Buttercup commented.

"You could say that," said Butch with a menacing grin.

Buttercup did not like the look Butch was giving her. He was obviously out for blood and hers was fresh for the taking. She stared him down with a fierce gaze, not about to let him see her fear. She had no idea what kind of power he possessed, but she was not one to back down in a hostile situation.

"Where are my sisters," she demanded. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had something to do with their disappearance."

Butch's grin grew wider on his face. "I don't believe your sisters will be doing much crime fighting in the future," he said with an ominous tone. "I personally took care of Blossom and I'm quite sure Boomer has finished Bubbles off. You're the only one left now. A pity really, but you will join them both soon enough." Butch licked his lips in eager anticipation, his fist making a loud cracking noise as he clenched them over and over. He looked Buttercup up and down as if trying to size her up, his eyes glowing with bloodlust.

"Your lying," Buttercup snarled. "You couldn't possibly have killed Blossom. We've beaten you so many times in the past, and we've only gotten stronger since then. My sisters would have cleaned the floor with you, no doubt about it"

Butch bellowed with a cruel laughter that sent a chill down Buttercup's spine. "You are so naïve. What do you think me and my brothers have been doing all these years. We have long since surpassed the strength of you pathetic powerpuffs. You are nothing compared to us. You have the injuries to prove it.

Buttercup remembered the night before when she had challenged the mysterious cloaked man, only to break her hand against his face and have her ribs effortlessly broken with a single blow. She never even considered that it had been a Rowdyruff Boy behind that hood.

"My brother made quick work of you back at the night club," Butch continued. "Why he let you live I will never understand, but I guess that leaves me with the pleasure of ending your life. I'll be sure to make it very slow and very, very painful."

Butch began his advance on Buttercup and she backed away as fear overtook her. It now dawned on her that it was a one sided battle with little to no chance of survival on her part. How was she going to get out of this? If both her sisters were really dead than she would surely meet the same fate. There was no hope for her. Fighting was useless if you could not even put a scratch in your enemy.

She did the first thing that came to mind. She ran. Moving as swift as lightning she bolted for the nearest open corridor, but Butch was already there before she knew it and before she could stop herself she found his hand around her throat. In an instant her airway had been cut off. She clawed fiercely at the arm, but it would not budge.

For the first time in her life Buttercup felt truly helpless. No amount of power she had could free her from the Rowdyruff's iron grasp. It seemed like the end then and there, but then Butch unrepentantly tossed her aside, her body rolling several times before hitting the wall.

"You make this too easy," he said. "I expected you to put up more of a struggle. I guess time has made you soft."

Buttercup coughed and sputtered as she sucked fresh air filled her starved lungs. She struggled to her feet and tried to run again, but Butch grabbed her by the hair and threw her head against the ground. While she was down he kicked her in the stomach. Once. Twice. Three times. Buttercup could hardly breath after the assault, hunched over into a tight ball to shield her stomach from any more blows. Butch smiled all the while, a dark sadistic smile that showed only joy and rapture in Buttercups torment and despair.

"Look at you. Simply pathetic. The toughest fighter they used to call you, and now this. If only your adoring fans could see you now. Hunched over as you are like a little baby. How they would mock you. Buttercup the baby, they would call you"

"Shut up," Buttercup wheezed, her blood boiling from Butch's remarks.

"What was that? Have I insulted you in some way?" Butch said in a mocking gesture.

Buttercup climbed to her feet, ignoring the lurching pain in her stomach. "I said shut up," she repeated fiercely, her eyes burning with pure hatred.

Butch threw a rapid backhand which sent Buttercup flying against the far wall. "You watch your tongue woman," he snarled, his tone becoming vicious and dead serious.

Buttercup got back to her feet and glared at Butch with such ferocity that if looks could kill, Butch would have endured a literal slaughter. "I'm not afraid of you. I'll fight you with my last breath. You may have the power to kill me, but you'll have to go through hell to do it."

"I have been to Hell and back, and compared to the tortures I have endured there, killing you will be one of the easiest things I've ever done." With that Butch made his final advance on Buttercup, walking with a slow gait to drag out Buttercup's ultimate demise in a tormenting fashion. Buttercup knew this was the end. She hated herself for being so weak, so frail and helpless when she needed most of all to be strong and unyeilding. She would not go out in glorious battle like she had sometimes imagined. She would die a mere victim, like any girl who happened to be cornered by some escaped convict or deranged serial killer.

"How can it end this way?" she thought dismally. "How can it possibly end this way?"

Butch ran his finger from Buttercup's chin down her neck and stopped it on her chest just over her heart. He made a little circle with his finger as if marking the spot as his ultimate target. Buttercup could only stare back at him helplessly, knowing full well that any retaliation would only result in further beatings. It was better to let him finish the job now rather than provoke him to torture her further.

Butch reared back his hand , his fingers pressed together like a spear, ready to striker her in the heart. He bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes on his target. Buttercup refused to close her eyes and kept them fixated on Butch, waiting for the blow to come.

Suddenly a had grabbed Butch's arm from behind and threw him aside with such force that he became imbedded in the wall. He was unscathed, but was overcome with shock and became very angry at the thought that someone would have such a nerve as to attack him. His anger quickly vanished though when he saw who it was who had thrown him aside. Standing over Buttercup with eyes aflame with unspeakable anger was his brother Brick.

Butch could not have been more stunned. Why would Brick go out of his way to protect the girl. Brick approached him, not saying a word but the anger still remaining fresh on his face. He put his face right up to Butch's, his expression like stone but the anger just as apparent through those burning eyes.

"Let us get one thing straight Amducious," he began, his voice as calm as still water but as cold as ice. "Buttecup is mine. You are not to touch her again, unless you want to deal with me. Understand?"

Butch did not even blink an eye as Brick spoke, but his expression was clear that he understood his words perfectly. Without another word her vanished into the stone. Brick turned back to Buttercup, his expression softening to one of concern. She stood back against the wall looking back at him, not knowing whether to be afraid of or grateful to the redheaded Rowdyruff. He approached her slowly but she pressed herself against the wall, her eyes filled with great distrust.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Brick said softly as he came right up to Buttercup. She no longer had the energy to resist felt her body lose its balance. She fell straight into the arms of the man, her consciousness slipping from her. He lifted her body into his arms and vanished into the shadows.

Boomer went crashing through several walls before coming to a halt in one of the corridors within the demon tower. He smiled with great delight at Bubble's newly emerged strength. "It's perfect," he thought. "She is nearly as powerful as I am. With that kind of power I could become much stronger than I am now, maybe even stronger than my brothers. I only need to drive her power as high as it will go, and then I will make the final strike."

By now Bubbles had reappeared, her body radiating pure white energy fed by her deep anger and blinding hatred. She threw herself upon Boomer in a psychotic rage, slamming her fists against his body with ruthless vigor. Boomer wondered just how much of Bubbles was left within this mad woman. He blocked every blow with his arms, but each strike was painfully felt, and he wondered just how much long her could keep it up before something broke.

Apparently Bubbles had been going light on him as one particular punch, much more powerful than the others, landed against his forearm, snapping the bone in two. Boomer withdrew from Bubbles' assault, quickly resetting the bone and healing the arm. He realized that he would have to be more cautious now. Bubbles had become dangerously strong, and she could do him major harm if he weren't careful. He still wasn't satisfied with the results of her strength. A few more well placed blows and taunts would bring her to the desired level, and then he would move in for the kill.

Bubbles was all but lost in the deep rage that consumed her. Power unlike she had ever felt flowed through her body and the only desire she possessed was to use it to tear Boomer apart limb from limb. She fought like a wildcat, but the Rowdyruff managed to meet her blow for blow, occasionally buckling to her attacks, only to come back with an extra powerful attack of his own. It was ultimately a fruitless struggle as the two superhumans duked it out within the confines of the tower. Several hours had passed and she was no closer to defeating the blond Rowdyruff.

The battle eventually led within Boomer's chambers. The two combatants found themselves standing on opposite sides of the black pool that sat in the center of the room, both catching their breaths form the intense battle.

"Well Bubbles. You have proven yourself to be quite a warrior. I would have never expected you to reach such a high level of power, but you proved me wrong. Sadly it was all for naught. Despite all you have achieved, you never even had a chance to defeat me. Your power will become my power as I suck the life out of you and leave your empty corpse to rot."

Boomer dove into the black pool, disappearing beneath the surface. Bubbles, not knowing what to expect, stood on guard, keeping her eyes lock on the black liquid. Suddenly the surface sprang to life, a black mass shooting upwards towards the ceiling. It flung itself towards Bubbles, faster than she could react, and grabbed her and flung her up towards the ceiling. In the next instant thousands of black spears sprouted from the liquid, piercing Bubbles at every point in her body. The spears clung to the wall, trapping her body in a black web. Another form rose from the pool, a giant black spider with four glowing red eyes. It crawled its way up the web until it was face to face with Bubbles. The head receded to reveal Boomer's face smiling back at her.

"It was a pleasure Bubbles, really it was. I will enjoy every ounce of your spirit." The spider head returned and Boomer bared his fangs, as large as a dagger each, and drove them into Bubbles' flesh. All at once the power seemed to fade from her body. The glow in her eyes disappeared and her body retuned to a normal state. As reason returned to her she realize now the trap that had been set, too late though, as the deadly bite sent her falling into eternal darkness.


	10. Inner Turmoil

****

Chapter 10: Inner Turmoil

Buttercup awoke to the chirping of birds high above her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was lying in the middle of Townsville's park. She wondered exactly how she got there. Last thing she remembered, she was fighting against Butch, and then Brick came and her memory went fuzzy. She got to her feet and stretched her limbs. She must have been lying there for quite a while to be so stiff. She quickly realized that the lingering pain she had been carrying in her chest since her injury was gone. She pressed against her ribs, first gently, then with increasing pressure. Still no pain. Even her hand felt better. She figured she ought to put it to the test. She walked over to a tree and gave it a swift punch. The trunk snapped easily in two and there was no pain from the impact.

"Yesssss," Buttercup shouted, jumping for joy. She was no longer crippled. No more pain. No more cramped hospital quarters. She danced around like a lunatic, shadowboxing and doing acrobatic stunts to celebrate her sudden recovery. Suddenly she stopped short. How exactly did she heal so suddenly? It would have taken at least a week for her body to heal on its own. She couldn't have possibly been unconscious that long. Could somebody have healed her wounds while she was asleep?

Buttercup thought back to her experience in the tower. She had been attacked by Butch, but Brick had intervened before he could kill her. Could he have been responsible for her sudden recovery? "No way," Buttercup thought to herself. "Why would one of my mortal enemies want to help me? It had to have been Bubbles or Blossom. They must still be fighting the Rowdyruff Boys. I have to go back to the tower and help them. They probably need me."

Buttercup took off without a second thought. With her confidence boosted from her sudden recovery, she was ready for any battle that awaited her ahead. In time she was back at the familiar Townsville ruins where the tower lay. She closed in on the entrance when something amidst the debris caught her eye.

"Bubbles!?" Buttercup gasped as she saw the body of her sister lying over a pile of rubble. She quickly flew down next to the rubble and gently lifted her Bubbles' head up so she could see her face. She was pale as a sheet and her veins were black as if they had been filled with a dark liquid. She was hardly breathing, with each breath coming in hard and ragged as if it pained her to do so. Her heart beat so weakly in her chest that Buttercup wondered if she heard it at all. She looked like she could die at any minute, as if the slightest shock could kill her then and there.

Buttercup reached out and touched Bubbles' cheek. She was ice cold, an infectious cold that sent a chill down Buttercup's spine. It felt as though someone had put Bubbles in a freezer before throwing her out into the street. "My god. Who could have done this to you," Buttercup thought as she gently stroked Bubbles' hair. She lifted her sister's body into her arms and took off in the opposite direction from the demon tower. She had to get help, and she had to get it fast.

Mojo had been spending the last twenty hours doing routine checks on Blossom. It wasn't looking good. Her body wasn't regenerating like it was supposed to. She continued to slip further and further from his grasp. He had tried everything from drugs to additional surgery to specialized I.V. fluids, but nothing would stabilize her. His life support system was the only thing keeping her alive, but he knew sooner or later her body would fail altogether. He had to act quickly or else Blossom would die.

Mojo was suddenly startled from one of his routine checkups by an explosion coming from his living room. He rushed over to check it out and found Buttercup standing amidst the remains of his front door, holding a very sick looking Bubbles in her arms.

"Mojo, you have to help me. Bubbles is dying. You're the only one I could think of who had the technology to save her."

Mojo was too frightened from his previous encounter with Bubbles to refuse. "Uhhh, right this way," he said without a moments hesitation. He led Buttercup to a another medical lab and had her place Bubbles onto a surgical table. He immediately set to work taking tests. Buttercup simply watched in silence as Mojo worked. If anyone could save Bubbles, it was Mojo.

It was dark, blacker than the blackest night, all consuming in its presence as it enveloped everything in sight. Bubbles could not tell if she were alive or dead. She felt icy cold all over. She could not see or feel her body, but it was there all the same. There were voices all around her, nightmarish voices whispering horrible secrets to her that she didn't want to hear. They hissed and muttered and cackled in the darkness, driving her to insanity with their sickening tales. She tried to cry out, but she could find no mouth through which to speak. Her voice was lost along with her body, leaving her completely naked to the assault of whispers that attacked her.

She was terrified beyond words. She wished desperately that she would wake up from this nightmare and find herself in her own bed. What was happening to her? What were these voices that tormented her? Would she be doomed to float here forever, listening to these horrible voices for all eternity?

Buttercup watched from a corner as Mojo did test after test on Bubbles. The only thing that gave her comfort was the constant beeping coming from the heart monitor that Mojo had attached to her earlier. He was constantly taking notes on a little pad, his hands working at a feverish pace. Finally he put down his test equipment and looked up at her with a grim expression.

"She's poisoned. Something inside her is eating away at her system," he said, shaking his head.

"Is there any way to cure her?" asked Buttercup frantically. "You must have something that can counteract this poison, some cure all that you keep in your basement or something."

"Unfortunately, nothing that I have could possibly cure this poison. I can analyze the poison and try devise a way to counteract it, but I can make no guarantees it will work. The toxin is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I will have to take this blood sample to my testing lab immediately and analyze it further. I will try to work as fast as I can. You stay here and keep an eye on her vitals."

Mojo left the medlab with the blood sample, leaving Buttercup alone with Bubbles. She checked the various equipment to make sure everything was in order. Her heart was still beating steadily, which was a good sign. She leaned over her Bubbles' and began gently stroking her hair. "It's going to be okay Bubbles," she whispered softly. "Mojo is going to find a cure for you. Just hold on for me okay? You will be better soon enough."

Bubbles wanted nothing more than to lash out at the invading voices calling to her through the darkness. They gnawed at her like a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around inside her head. Finally she just couldn't take it any more. Through sheer willpower she was able to find her voice and she released a ear piercing shriek that shook through the darkness like a raging hurricane. The voices immediately ceased their chattering and all fell into dead silence.

Suddenly everything grew colder as a deathly chill passed over her. An ominous presence seemed to gather all around her, closing in on her like a silent stalker. Bubbles tried to fly away, but she could not tell if she were moving or not. Her body just seemed to remain in one place, and the presence only continued to advance closer and closer to her. She could not tell where it was. There was no sound, no smell, no warmth or heartbeat. There was just the ever growing presence, closing in around her like a thick cloud.

Suddenly Bubbles felt what could only be described as the most horrible sensation she had ever felt. A slimy tentacle as cold as ice and oozing with fluids clung to her leg and slowly slithered up her thigh. She could feel it inch its way around her, wrapping her in a terrible embrace. More tentacles found their way onto her skin and they also began to wrap themselves around her. She struggled with all her might against the their slimy grasp, but the tentacles were far to powerful and overtook her with ease. They bound her so tightly that she was crushed beneath their great weight, unable to move and barely able to breath.

There was the sound of breathing, faint at first, but growing steadily louder with each passing moment. It rose until it filled the darkness, a bone chilling, inhuman sound that drew ever closer to Bubbles. She could feel an icy breeze with each terrifying sigh. What she could only guess was a tongue rolled across her chin and wrapped around her face before recoiling back from whence it came. A hungry sigh escaped from unseen lips.

Bubbles went to scream again, but another tentacle was quick to seal her mouth. In the darkness before her a face revealed itself, a hideous face, so grotesque that the most sturdy of people would have ran in terror. Its eyes rolled madly in its head and its lips parted to reveal several rows of rotting yellow fangs dripping with decaying flesh. Bubbles felt herself moving closer to those fangs, drawing nearer to inevitable doom. She couldn't move. She couldn't scream. She was powerless to fight this creature. She couldn't bear to watch as the jaws stretched open to consume her and sealed her eyes shut.

A spike in the heart monitor shook Buttercup out of deep thought. Bubbles' heartbeat was becoming highly irregular and her body began to convulse violently. Her eyes shot open revealing only the whites as the pupils lodged themselves into the back of her head.

"Mojo, get over here. Something is wrong with Bubbles," Buttercup screamed. She watched in horror as Bubbles' body continued to writhe uncontrollably.

Mojo arrived in a flash. "She's going into seizures," he stated. He rushed to a drug cabinet and pulled out a vial and a syringe. He filled the needle from the vial and immediately injected it into Bubbles' arm. There was no response to the drug. She continued to writhe and convulse, force of her body causing the table to jolt and rattle. She then released a blood curdling scream that pierced through the air, and fell limp against the table, the heart monitor humming steadily as she flatlined.

"NO! BUBBLES, NO!" Buttercup shrieked.

Mojo pulled out a defibrillator and set the voltage as high as it would go. He administered a shock to Bubbles' chest, but the flatline persisted. He administered the shock a second time, and a third time. He continued until he finally had to admit defeat. Bubbles was gone. He put the pads down and shook his head.

"What the hell are doing?" Buttercup shouted. "You have to keep trying. You just can't let her die."

"I… I can't help her," said Mojo weakly.

"Yes you can," Buttercup shouted as tears began to stream down her face. "You have to keep trying. You have to bring her back"

"I've tried everything. There's nothing more I can do. She's gone Buttercup."

"NO SHE ISN'T," Buttercup screeched as she grabbed Mojo by the collar and began to shake him madly. "KEEP TRYING. BRING HER BACK TO ME."

Mojo stared wide eyed with terror at Buttercup. "I… I-I… I…" Mojo just couldn't get any words out. Thoughts of "I'm going to die" filled his head as he hung loosely in her grip.

Finally Buttercup released Mojo and fell to her knees, spilling tears into her hands. She knelt beside Bubbles, putting her face close to her ear. "You can't die Bubbles," she whispered. "You just can't die. Please come back to. Please Bubbles. Don't leave me."

"Please Bubbles. Don't leave me." These words echoed in the darkness like a sirens calling. Bubbles felt a wave of emotion well up inside her. She couldn't die. She was needed. People who loved her, people she loved, were suffering. She had to go back. She had to live.

Buttercup had rested her head on Bubbles' chest, spilling tears of sorrow into her bosom. Suddenly a steady beeping caught her attention. The hear monitor was reading a pulse once again. Bubbles was still alive.

A laugh escaped her lip, a laugh of joy, a laugh of relief. She hugged Bubbles tightly. She was alive.

Mojo could only look on in fear disbelief. He didn't have a clue what was going on. He only wished these Powerpuff Girls would all get better and get the hell out of his house. "Get the hell out? That's not a bad idea, Mojo thought to himself. He began to crawl away slowly, making sure Buttercup didn't notice him leaving. Anyplace would be better than here.

Bubbles fought with all her might to escape the bowels of the foul beast that consumed her. She ripped through the dark flesh, finally bursting out into the open as the beast howled in pain from her ejection. She felt a new strength within her, greater than she had ever felt before. She rose high above the creature, no longer afraid.

The creature looked at her with a ferocious gaze, quite unhappy at having its belly ripped wide open. It summoned the voices again to aid it, but she remained unphased by them. These creatures could no longer frighten her. They were nothing but opportunistic parasites, parasites that she intended to destroy once and for all.

The voices began to close in around her. Growing louder and louder as drew closer. Finally Bubbles could see from where they were coming. Millions of ugly faces stared at her through gleaming red eyes, all speaking together at once. They moved in closer and closer, stretching their arms out for her. She waited, waited until they were nearly touching her.

Her body glowed bright with an intense light that filled the darkness until none remained. Howls of agony filled the air as the monsters were incinerated by the intense light. Soon none remained. The darkness faded, revealing a beautiful meadow of brilliantly colored flowers and cute woodland animals, a bright glimmering sun shining high in the clear blue sky; her childhood sanctuary, long forgotten with age. Her body was free at last. She could now return to the people she loved, the people who needed her now more than ever.

Buttercup felt a gentle hand stroke her hair. She looked up to see Bubbles smiling down at her. "Your awake," Buttercup cried with glee. She threw her arms around Bubbles and fought back the urge to cry once more. "I… I thought I was going to lose you."

"It was your voice, your voice that brought me back," Bubbles whispered.

Buttercup couldn't help herself. She cried like a baby into Bubbles' arms.

"It's all right Buttercup. Everything's going to be all right," Bubbles whispered gently as she continued to stroke Buttercup's hair. "Wait here. There is something I need to do."

Buttercup watched Bubbles jump from the table and leave the room. She showed no sign of the illness that had just an hour ago nearly killed her.

Bubbles found her way into the room where Blossom still lay in critical condition. She made her way to her bedside and looked over her. She took one hand and placed it on Blossom's forehead. Blossom's body tensed as something surged through her. Her labored breathing softened and color had fully returned to her pale face. Almost immediately she opened her eyes, yawning as if awakening from a pleasant slumber.

"Good morning Bubbles," she said without thinking. She suddenly remembered everything that had passed over the last day and shot upright. Bubbles put a consoling hand on her shoulder and she immediately calmed. She looked over her body. All her injuries were gone; in fact, she felt better than ever. She moved around her once broken arm, trying to convince herself she was not dreaming the whole experience. "What… how… but I should be…" she stammered, unable to formulate the right question or statement to express her confusion.

"That doesn't matter right now," said Bubbles reassuringly. "What matters is that we finish what we started."

Blossom saw the look in Bubbles' eyes and nodded. She understood all too well what they had to do. It was time for them to take care of the demon menace once and for all, for the sake of Townsville; maybe even the world.

Buttercup waited patiently where Bubbles had left her. When Bubbles had returned with Blossom, she felt an unspeakable joy. Now the three of them were together again, a team once more. Him and his minions had better look out. The Powerpuff Girls were back in business.


	11. Rematch

I finally present to you all, by popular demand, the next installment to "Dark Brothers of Hell". Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Rematch

"Well well well." Him looked on with amusement into a flaming looking glass where he saw the three Powerpuffs alive and well. "I should have known they'd still be alive. Those girls continue to be thorn in my side. Oh well. I guess when the time is right, I will have the luxury of killing them myself." Him waved his claw and the image on the looking glass changed to reveal Brick sitting cross legged in another part of the tower in deep meditation. "Ah, Lucifage," he chimed. "Poor unsuspecting Lucifage. For one so intelligent you can be quite naive, thinking you can hide your true motives from me, the one who used his own dark energy to resurrect you from the grave. Your attempt to betray me will be your ultimate undoing. Continue to guard my tower my pawn. In two days the nexus will open and you and your brothers will pay dearly for your audacity." Him continued his vigilance of the city through the mirror before him. "Just two more days," he repeated. "Two more days."

Buttercup was beginning to nod off. For two hours now Blossom had been locked up inside one of Mojo's laboratories, hard at work on an unknown project. Blossom had insisted that she and Bubbles wait for her, that this project was critical if they were to defeat the Rowdyruff Boys and stop Him. Buttercup closed her eyes as sleep overtook her. She could not deny the sheer exhaustion she felt after the episode of Bubbles near death. When she opened her eyes again she knew several hours had passed. She looked around the room to see if Bubbles was still with her. She was nowhere in sight.

"She must have gone to get something to eat," Buttercup thought to herself. She realized she was feeling a bit hungry herself. "I might as well do a little fridge raiding myself. I hope Mojo has more to eat than just bananas."

Buttercup made her way into the observatory's living quarters, keeping an eye out all the while for any sign of Bubbles. She began to get an ominous feeling as she found her way to Mojo's kitchen. "Where the hell is she?" she thought to herself. "She wouldn't have left without telling anybody, especially after Blossom asked us to stay put. Then again, she has been acting strange. She looked like she was preoccupied with something, just staring into space like she had something on her mind. There's no way she would have gone back to the tower, would she?"

Buttercup froze on the spot, then turned and rushed to the exit. "God damn it. I have to stop her before she gets herself killed," she said. She burst through the observatory entrance and flew off in the direction of the demon tower. She had to move fast. There was no telling how much of a head start Bubbles may have had.

The Townsville ruins reeked of death. Ghosts of the dead seemed to echo from the rubble. Bubbles ignored these new sensations that invaded her senses as she approached the demon tower. She had only one thing on her mind.

She stopped in front of the tower. She could feel the current of energy traveling into the walls. She now understood what the tower was for. Him was collecting life energy for some unknown purpose. She knew she could not allow his plans to continue. She was about to move towards the wall when she heard someone shouting her name. She turned to see Buttercup racing towards her.

"Bubbles, what the hell do you think your doing?" Butter shouted as she caught up to Bubbles. "Didn't Blossom tell us to stay put? None of us can take this on alone. We need to work together. Blossom has something in the works to help us defeat the Rowdyruff Boys, but we have to wait for her."

"Buttercup, why did you have to come here?" Bubbles thought. "Buttercup, turn back now," she said. "This doesn't involve you,"

"Like hell this doesn't involve me," Buttercup shouted. "If you think I'm going to just let you go off to your death you're wrong. I'm not leaving here unless your coming with me."

Bubbles looked on with a sad expression. Buttercup was very stubborn, but she also loved her very much. "I'm sorry Buttercup," she whispered. In a flash she moved in and struck Buttercup in the temple. She was immediately knocked out cold and began to fall towards the earth before Bubbles caught her in her arms. "I can't get you involved in this. I can't allow you or Blossom to risk your lives. Only I can stop this.

Bubbles descended into the ruins below and tucked Buttercup beneath the cover of some large slabs of rock. "Hopefully when you wake up this will all be over," she said to Buttercup's unconscious form. She then made her way towards the tower once more. She sank into the stone like it was water and disappeared altogether.

Bubbles reemerged inside the tower, but it was different from the last time she had been inside. The myriad of corridors were nonexistent, replaced instead by an expansive interior that resembled that of an old fashion castle. "So this is what Him's tower really looks like from the inside," she thought to herself. "The labyrinth was just a trick to keep us from finding this place. Him must really not want us to get inside. He's hiding something. I will have to find out what it is, but first there's something else I must attend to."

Boomer could not have been more bored. It had been nearly a day since he had seen any action and he was growing restless. He hated Him's tower. It was dull and dreary and there was nothing to do. If it were not for the Powerpuff Girls showing up he would probably have gone insane with boredom. "If only I didn't have to guard this stupid place," Boomer mumbled to himself. "How fucking long is it going to take before Lucifage initiates his plan. With all this power I shouldn't have to listen to that moron." Boomer moved through a familiar room for what seemed like the hundredth time. He turned his head to a statue of Him, an ugly statue that smiled a mocking smile back at him every time he walked by it. With a swift backfist he knocked the head clean off the statue. "I would sure like to do that for real," he thought with a chuckle as he imagined Him's head rolling across the floor.

The halls were suddenly alive sound of cracking stone as Boomer made a game of breaking every statue of Him that he saw, and there were a lot of them too. One by one he smashed them to bits, releasing his pent up frustrations on the stone likenesses of the demon he hated so much. He was really getting into it when he suddenly became aware of a familiar energy.

"It… it can't be. How could she have possibly survived?"

Bubbles could feel Boomer's energy. He was close, very close. She moved quickly, following the energy signature as she moved from room to room. She froze suddenly when a black liquid oozed from the ceiling and dripped down onto the floor in front of her. It began to condense and take form. The next thing she knew, she was face to face with the blond Ruff.

"Well well well, if it isn't Bubbles. You know, you never cease to amaze me," said Boomer. "Not only have you managed to somehow survive my deadly venom, but you've found a way into the heart of Urobach's tower. I must say, I'm quite impressed."

"You and I have some unfinished business," Bubbles said calmly.

"If you're looking for a fight, you've come to the right place," Boomer said, cracking his knuckles. "I haven't any excitement all day." He raised his hands in front of him and produced a glowing white flame around each of them.

Bubbles expression remained unchanged. "Let me make this easy for you," she said. "Return my father to me and I'll let you live,"

Boomer broke out into a fit of laughter. "You seem to have forgotten who beat who in our last battle, or did the poison wipe your memory. You are in no position to be making threats to me."

Suddenly a tremendous pulse sent Boomer skidding backwards on his heels, forcing his body deep into the wall behind him. Bubbles moved forward with slow steady steps, her eyes now glowing white and her hair billowing behind her as if caught in a strong wind. "I'll ask you again," she hissed. "Where is he?"

Boomer dislodged himself from the wall and casually dusted off his shoulders, turning to Bubbles with an amused look. "You've just made a big mistake," he said. "This time I'm going to make sure you're dead." In a flash he launched himself at Bubbles, summoning all his strength into a powerful punch. His fist connected, but not where he had anticipated. Bubbles had seized it at the last second, and held it firmly in one hand, seemingly with little effort. She retaliated with a punch of her own. He was sent flying through the wall behind him and into the next room.

As Boomer climbed to his feet he could see Bubbles advancing through the hole in the wall. He transformed one arm into a black liquid and stretching it out to meet Bubbles. It hit her head on, pushing her back through the hole and straight through the wall of the adjacent room. He continued forced her body through wall after wall, pushing her back until she finally broke through to the outside. He then forced her downwards and plowed her body into the rubble below. He appeared through the hole he had made shortly after and could see her lying amidst the debris below, seemingly unconscious.

Suddenly Bubbles' eyes opened and she shot upwards, darting full speed towards Boomer. He quickly dodged to the side and she barely missed him, but in an instant she doubled back, much faster than he had anticipated. She unleashed a hail of blows upon him, but he met each one with ease and rapidly transformed one arm into liquid form and wrapped Bubbles tightly within it. Like a whip he flicked Bubbles towards the ground, slamming her body deep into the earth. He then lifted her back and repeated the action again and again. When he was satisfied that Bubbles' body was broken, he gave one last flick and pitched her into the ground. He returned his arm to normal and looked down with satisfaction at his handywork. There was no way Bubbles could get up after a beating like that.

To Boomer's shock Bubbles suddenly emerged from her crater and ascended into the sky one more. Aside from a few tears in her outfit she was completely unscathed. "How could she withstand such a beating?" he thought. "There's not a scratch on her." He could only stare dumbfounded as Bubbles appeared before him, her face calm and serious.

"I'll give you one last chance Boomer. Tell me where you've hid my father and I'll let you walk away from this intact."

"Where did she get all this arrogance from?" Boomer thought to himself "I'll have to put her in her place." He transformed both his arms to liquid and engulfed Bubbles entirely. He was surprised when Bubbles did not struggle. It was all too easy to subdue her in the black mass. Something wasn't right. Boomer then felt a surge of power rise within his grasp. The black mass he had encased Bubbles in erupted in a brilliant flash of white light, taking both his arms along with it. When the light had dimmed he could see Bubbles hovering there, now surrounded by a glowing white aura. She looked back at him with that same calm expression.

"You Rowdyruff Boys were never very smart," Bubbles said with a hint of scorn in her voice.

Boomer was beginning to get very agitated. "You apparently don't comprehend the scope of your situation Bubbles. I guess I'll have to show you what you're really dealing with." He closed his eyes began to glow with a dark aura and his black cloak fused with his body, forming a type of armor against his skin. For the first time Bubbles could see Boomer's muscular form. Then there was an explosion of energy as Boomer summoned all his power to the surface, his hair billowed wildly as a powerful wind swirled around his body. his aura intensified until it bathed the entire area in a dark light. He opened his eyes again, which were now glowing like a pair of black flames.

"Now," Boomer began, "lets try this again." He flung himself at Bubbles with unbelievable speed and hit her in the face with earth shattering force. Bubbles went soaring in the opposite direction, the momentum carrying her clear out of Townsville. Her body tore through the forests beyond the outskirts of the city, smashing through rocks and trees until she finally came to skidding halt in the middle of the forest.

Boomer had followed Bubbles out into the forest. He searched the trail of destruction to the end, but was surprised when he could not find Bubbles body. An ominous feeling passed over him. He looked behind him and sure enough, Bubbles was hovering there, completely unscathed.

"Are you looking for me?" Bubbles said casually.

"But how? That blow should of knocked you out, if not killed you." said Boomer in complete shock.

"Maybe you're losing your touch," Bubble said in a mocking tone.

"And maybe I just need to try harder," Boomer retorted, his anger rising

Boomer flung himself at Bubbles once more, punching her in the chest with everything he had. Bubbles' body went flying once more, but this time she stopped herself only meters away. She looked up at Boomer with a smile on her face. He could clearly see a deep dent in her chest where his fist had landed. That blow should have killed her, but she simply hovered there like it was nothing.

The dent in Bubbles' chest began to expand outwards and the sound of her bones rearranging themselves was clearly audible. Moments later it was as if the wound was never there. "If you want to kill me you'll have to try much harder than that Boomer," said Bubbles, acting as if nothing had happened.

Boomer became enraged. He lunged at Bubbles and unleashed a flurry of blows upon her, hitting her with everything he had. He could feel her body breaking beneath his blows, but Bubbles remained motionless as she allowed the beating to continue unopposed. Boomer finally broke off from his assault, breathing hard from the exertion. His jaw dropped when Bubbles began to heal miraculously before his eyes. Bones, reset. Cuts closed. When it was done she was as good as new.

"Impossible. Simply impossible. No mortal could take a beating like that. It's as if she were… a demon."

Suddenly Bubbles thrust her arm forward, plowing right through Boomer's chest. A moment later she retracted and hovered there arms crossed, watching as he gripped the wound in pain. Boomer looked up at Bubbles with anger and resentment. As the pain subsided, he was able to focus on regenerating himself. In no time he had closed the hole in his chest completely.

"We can end this now Boomer. Give up and tell me where my father is hidden," said Bubbles.

"You think you've won, don't you?" Boomer responded. "You think you have this fight all wrapped up? There is one thing you forget Bubbles. Your power is now my power. You are at your limit while I can still rise even higher, and when I'm at full strength, you will be powerless to oppose me."

"Go ahead. It makes no difference," Bubbles said apathetically.

"We'll see how much of a difference it makes," Boomer bellowed.

Boomer tapped into the energy that he had stolen from Bubbles in their previous fight. Immediately it rushed through his body, filling him with an even greater sense of power. His aura began to match Bubbles' own aura, shifting from black to pure white. His eyes changed as well, the black glow being replaced by a white glow. He relished in the sensations running through him. Bubbles' energy gave him a new confidence as he felt his power skyrocket. When he was finished he could not believe how much stronger he felt.

"Now we'll see how tough you really are Powerpuff." Boomer growled, letting his new power surge through him in visible bolts that flickered like lightning.

Bubbles looked on undaunted, her expression remaining unchanged. "Yes," she whispered. "We'll see."


	12. Bubbles Transformed

Chapter 12: Bubbles Transformed

A thick swirling vortex of white energy lit up the forests lining the outskirts of the city of Townsville with an eerie glow. At its center hovered the now supercharged Boomer, his body glowing with his newly unleashed power. He loomed over Bubbles with death spelt in his eyes and a wicked grin on his face. Bubbles returned his gaze with an undaunted expression, her face devoid of the slightest bit of concern.

"When this is all over there will be nothing left of you," Boomer growled. "I will tear your body to shreds and burn your remains to ashes."

Bubbles remained silent, staring at Boomer with uncaring eyes.

Boomer gave a satisfied smile. "Run out of cheap threats? It's about time you realized you were out of your league. Now I'm going to finish this once and for all." He lunged at Bubbles, his body a mere flicker of light as he soared towards his target with incredible speed. The force of their collision left an ear shattering crack that shook the forest for miles. Bubbles' body tossed about like a rag doll as it soared countless miles into the air. Boomer suddenly appeared behind her and buried a fist deep into her side, halting her momentum altogether. He seized Bubbles by the neck and proceeded to beat on her with both his free arm and his legs, each blow echoing like a sonic boom. Finally pitched her with relentless force towards the earth. The explosion from her body colliding with the ground was like that of an atom bomb, throwing up tons of dirt and debris. Boomer quickly followed up by charging a ball of black energy into his palms. The dark orb grew larger and larger until it was larger than Boomer himself. With a fierce warrior's cry he fired a deadly black beam down towards the earth. It split through the air, roaring like a mighty beast ready to swallow its prey. The beam dove into the earth like a drill, driving deeper and deeper into the earth's crust, obliterating all matter in its path. The wave of destruction spread for miles, completely wiping the forest clean off the map. The blackness soaked up the surrounding light like a black hole and for a small moment all was pitch black.

Boomer finally relaxed and let the beam slowly dissipate from existence. Light returned to the scene once again, but all that was once there was now gone. The forest had been obliterated, in its wake a crater so deep that the bottom was obscured by shadows. Boomer descended towards the giant crater, drawing in a deep breath as a the satisfaction of victory overtook him. "That was too easy. With Bubbles' power I may even be stronger than Amducious." he thought to himself.

Suddenly he felt an energy from deep inside the heart of the crater. "No, it can't be. It just can't." The energy became stronger and Boomer could see a white light glowing from inside the crater. It continued to intensify until the entire crater was lit up from the inside. "How… how can this be? It's just not possible."

"You just don't understand, do you?" Boomer heard a voice say inside his head. "You had lost this fight before it even began,"

Suddenly the energy turned pure black and spouted upwards like a fountain. Bubbles emerged from the crater, surrounded by a black glow. Her eyes now glowed with the dark energy that poured out form her and her hair and clothing billowed about as if gravity had lost all control over her. She ascended towards the now quivering Boomer. He backed away from the approaching Bubbles, unable to do anything but stutter stupidly as fear overtook him. "B-B-But how?" he stammered, his eyes wide with terror.

"Your power is my power. Sound familiar?" Bubbles said in an icy tone.

"Y-You can't be serious. How could you possibly possess the powers of a demon? It's just… impossible. Impossible."

"Is it? When you yourself fed the very essence of your power into my veins. You thought it would kill me. In all respects it should have. The demon seether is toxic to all who are not trained to receive it." Bubbles noticed Boomer's eyes widen and smile. "Yes, I know all about the seether and a whole lot more. All the knowledge is locked away in the demon blood. It is a unique way to bestow demon knowledge and abilities into a mortal; the easiest way to transform one into a demon."

"But you haven't undergone the subsequent rituals. You haven't had the training and you are not fully transformed. You can't possibly be stronger than I am." A smile suddenly crossed Boomer's face, and his body relaxed. "No, you may possess demon powers, but I am still stronger than you and I am going to prove it by killing you."

Boomer lunged at Bubbles with restored confidence, but that didn't last long. Bubbles seized his oncoming punch just as effortlessly as when he made his first attack. "No!" He threw a knee at Bubbles' gut, but she lifted her own and blocked the strike. He then swung his other arm at her head, but she raised her free arm and blocked that as well. In the end Boomer was left wide open for attack. Bubbles took this opportunity to hit him full force in the chest. Ribs cracked as Boomer was sent hurtling backwards. In a streak of black, Bubbles followed. She ripped a deep gash through his body, nearly severing him in half.

Boomer stared in shock at the large missing portion of flesh. Instinctively he summoned his regenerative powers and repaired the wound until there was no sign of it left. The whole ordeal had only taken seconds, but it was enough time for Bubbles to double back and drive her fist into his back , sending him on a painful trip across the barren landscape.

It was all happening so fast. A cloud of confusion consumed Boomer and for a moment he lost all control over his thoughts. Suddenly he remembered his training. He could not let fear of failure cloud his judgment in battle. He righted himself and halted his flight. As he expected, Bubbles was right on his tail, a mere black streak moving so fast that even his trained eyes could barely capture it. Instantly he split into many strings of black fluid moving in every direction at once, leaving Bubbles to pass through thin air. He then reassembled himself and threw out one arm in pursuit. The black mass enveloped Bubbles, and with all his strength, Boomer pulled her to stop and reversed her momentum so that she was coming back towards him. In one fluid motion he flung her over his head and down towards the earth. Still keeping her within his hold, he drilled her into the ground, pushing deeper and deeper, making sure Bubbles' body was lodged securely into the ground. He finally recoiled. "It was time to finish this. His first beam may have not been strong enough, but he could summon a second one that would surely send Bubbles into oblivion.

In a practiced movement Boomer brought his hands together and at once began to pour black energy into a ball. He kept his eyes locked onto the hole in the ground as he fed more and more energy into his attack. It had just about reached the size of his first blast, when suddenly he could see the ground trembling. "No, not yet," he pleaded. The ball was now larger than before, but it still wasn't strong enough. The ground quaked more violently. Finally the earth exploded upwards as a streak of black tore up from the grounf. "No! Too soon," Boomer thought as he watched the black bolt fly in his direction. He released the blast downwards, praying that it was enough to stop the girl. The beam soared towards its target, hitting it dead on, but to Boomer's horror, instead of continuing its way towards the ground, it was returning back in his direction.

"SHIT!" Boomer cried as the beam slammed into his body. There was a massive explosion and Boomer felt himself being ripped apart from the inside out. Bubbles, who had been directly behind the beam had torn straight through his body. The combined force of Bubbles and the dark energy had literally torn him to ribbons. His pieces fell to the ground, making sick splattering noises as they hit the hard earth below. There was a long moment of quiet. The air had calmed and all was still. The pieces of Boomer lay motionless on the ground. Suddenly they started to writhe and vibrate. They turned to a black liquid and began to move towards each other, coalescing and reforming as a whole. After many moments Boomer reemerged. He knelt down on one knee, gasping for breath as he tried to steady himself from his ordeal. He stood up slowly tilting his head in minute increments towards the sky, afraid of what he might see. What he saw was a black streak heading towards him, only an instant before he found himself slammed hard into the ground, followed by a searing pain in his chest.

Bubbles knelt over Boomer's body, her right hand buried deep in his chest, pinning him to the ground. Her eyes were ablaze with rage and hatred. She stared down at Boomer as if he were a some sort of pathetic animal worthy only of being slaughtered. Then she quickly calmed down. The dark glow in her eyes subsided entirely, revealing once again the light blue irises. The anger in her expression faded and her face became like stone.

Boomer looked up in utter terror at Bubbles, his body quivering with fear. "I g-give up. Just d-don't kill me."

"Where is my father," Bubble said in a dangerous tone.

"H-He's hidden deep inside the tower. I can take you to him."

Bubbles removed her fist from Boomer's chest and he promptly regenerated.

"One false move and I'll tear you apart in such a way that it won't come back. Trust me."

Boomer shuddered as he flew off in the direction of the demon tower with Bubbles close behind him. "Damn it. What have I gotten myself into. I should have killed her when I had the chance. If my brothers find out they'll… wait, that's it. My brothers. I may not be able to beat her, but they can. I only need to make her think I'm taking her to her father, and then I'll lead her straight into one of my brother. Yes, that's perfect." Boomer did his best to conceal his excitement, knowing that Bubbles had keen senses. He glanced back at the pursuing Powerpuff. "You may have won the battle Bubbles, but you most certainly haven't won the war."


End file.
